Media and Crime in America

Dr. Meghan Sacks, Associate Professor of Criminology, Department of Criminology and Justice, Fairleigh Dickinson University

2 hours. 5 Wednesday mornings, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2025

Every day, we have contact with some type of media.  Whether this media exposure is through television, the computer, our phones, or other sources, we consume media for various purposes, including news and entertainment.  A lot of what is portrayed in the media relates to crime, however most of what is portrayed is not congruent with the reality of crime and the criminal justice system in the United States.  This means that people who rely on this type of news will hold serious misconceptions about the reality of crime in our country.  In this course, we will examine media coverage and the misconceptions that follow this coverage to reveal the truth beyond the headlines. 

Meghan Sacks, Ph. D., earned her doctorate in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is currently a Professor of Criminology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. In her fifteen years at FDU, she served as the founder and director of the Criminology major, the Graduate Program Director, and the Internship Program Director.

 She teaches courses including Criminological Theory, Crime Policy, Media and Crime and Serial Killers. Her research on the criminal justice system and the people in it has been published in several academic journals and two books. She co-hosts three true crime podcasts: Direct Appeal, Women and Crime, and Campus Killings.  Before her academic career, Meghan was a United States Probation Officer in the Southern District of New York.   

Classes will be held in the Chase Room of the Madison Library