1980/04/01 by Danny L. Jorgensen · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Crime, Deviance, and Social Control #Caribbean history, culture, and politics #Media Studies and Communication #Deviance (statistics) #Stylized fact #Interpretation (philosophy) #Mass media #Sociology #Social media #Social reality #Criminology #Social psychology #Psychology #Political science #Social science #Computer science #Law
paper · doi:10.1080/01639625.1980.9967531
openalex publication_date 1980/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
This paper reports on an investigation and analysis of social reactions to the events of November 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana. Critical attention is focused on the manner in which an official reality of these events was fashioned and presented by the mass media. Findings support the contention that the resulting interpretation was highly selective and stylized. Reasons for the symbolic construction of this reality of Jonestown are explored and related to the role played by experts and public officials. These findings are interpreted by way of the sociopolitical process whereby events are labeled and explained as social problems or deviance.