Gerbner created cultivation theory from his cultivation hypothesis, which states his attempts to understand how "heavy exposure to cultural imagery will shape a viewer's concept of reality", in reference to the viewing of television commercials and programming.
Gerbner continued his research in cultivation theory over the years, and at one point served as Dean at The Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania.
Although this theory is based on research concerning fictional television programs, such as soap operas or sitcoms, it is still applicable to how crime and justice are portrayed on television, not only on the nightly news, but also in the form of crime talk shows or small-case trials, such as Judge Judy or Celebrity Justice, which border the lines of fiction and non-fiction.
The cultivation theory can be related to the television news in the way that news events, such as crime stories, are transformed into narratives in order to be better understood by mass audiences.
Does the media shape your opinions on how you think of crime in your local area? In regards to high profile celebrity cases?
