Summary of the Crime
On November 2023, an Edmonton petrol station in Canada was the scene of the aggravated murder incidents of Harpreet Singh Uppal, a 41-year-old Sikh who was into organized crime activities, and his 11-year-old son (World News, 2023). The shooting directly occurred during the daytime and was being perceived as an uptick in gang-related violence. The friend of Uppal’s son, who was also a passenger in the car, came out unscathed. Police theorize that the shooters consciously sought to kill a child. No one was arrested, and the identity of the suspects was uncertain at the time. Uppal also faced charges of possession and trafficking of cocaine. The investigators focused on the UN gang or the Brother’s Keepers. Just like other cities in Canada, Edmonton was addressing the problem of a rise in violence caused by gangs. The officials assured that the investigation process will be carried out firmly in order to find the perpetrator involved in this incident that caused the death of the child, which, in turn, increased police efforts to unravel the crime.
Media and Crime
Hassan et al. say, “The ways media represent crime and justice may leave us with a skewed perception” (HASSAN & MA, 2023). An example is the media coverage of the Harpreet Singh Uppal’s son shooting in Edmonton.” The text states that the events sound hard. There are words like “brazen” and “sick and twisted” are used to refer how serious it may be (World News, 2023). By describing this event as particularly dreadful, this language species attracts readers’ attention and modifies how they view it as wrong. Additionally, matters become even more complicated when commentators evoke Uppal’s connection with organized crime, as it induces critics to ponder the victims’ morality and the extent of their guilt. The standard linking of victims and their families to organized crime can result in a lack of emotional understanding, which then helps one’s prejudices prevail. The representation of crime gives the media power over the formation of opinions and attitudes towards criminal activity, highlighting the necessity of respective, non-sensational, and unbiased stories that make every party involved feel hidden and fair. In this regard, it is underlined that societal understanding of crime and justice can be improved if media messages are analyzed and filtered for various biases.
Media portrayal of Harpreet Singh Uppal’s criminal history and what organized crime groups he is connected to makes crime seem dramatic and slowly changes how the public perceives it. The media more secretly associates Uppal’s illegal works with his murder through the characterization of him as a “high-level figure” in organized crime and public accusation of his connection with cocaine use and trafficking (World News, 2023). As well as the media sensationalizing the crime, this portrayal can also lead to a viewer thinking that Uppal deserved what happened to them because of their status as criminals. Furthermore, comparing Uppal with organized criminals, the media also strengthens existing stereotypes about the people above so that the local community gets nervous and distrustful, which may negatively influence the whole society.
This representation omits the complex issues of the root causes that underlie crime and violence. Moreover, it reduces the complexity of victimization and crime to simplified formats. The kind of sensationalized reporting that this is can perpetuate the negative storylines and build up prejudices instead of responsible reporting that is focused on the social, economic, and institutional forces that contribute to the development of an issue. Media must prioritize bringing real people’s stories behind the headlines in even crime reporting. Furthermore, they should not let themselves cave into the urge to dramatize news to get attention or have new viewers. This thorough reporting could promote a more understanding and comprehensive audience discussion on criminality and victims.
The fact that the victim’s 11-year-old son was killed during the shooting adds a horrific new dimension to it, even if there were other children in the car. This may also sensationalize the crime even more by portraying it as horribly and extremely cruel. The highlighted aspect of this detail could suffice to double readers’ moral indignation level and create more feelings. Through this, the media highlights the magnitude of the effects and predetermined notions about participants, mainly related to organized crime. “Brazen” and “sick and twisted” are the words used in the story that show the horror of the event and that the story is more sensationalized, which gives people an idea of the event’s true nature (World News, 2023). As per Hassan et al., “Public opinions, regardless of how they are informed, have an impact on politicians, law, and policy ” (HASSAN & MA, 2023). In the eyes of the audience, the victims of crime might be labeled as derelict and given the burden of guilt due to the dramatized portrayal of them as perpetrators of a heinous act. For the audience to feel their emotions, the media typically resorts to emotional language and deliberate framing while covering the shooting. This has contributed to the development of the way the community perceives the crime and those involved while holding the stereotypes and increasing anxiety about organized crime and violence.
Conclusion
The way that media representation impacts public perceptions of criminality is clear if we look at the media coverage in Edmonton of the shooting incident involving Harpreet Singh Uppal and his son. The media, which has the power to sensationalize the occurrence and, in a way, link it with Uppal’s involvement in organized crime, actually reinforces biases and prejudices. Sensationalism must be avoided. All the parties involved in any reporting must be dealt with even-handedly. The scary death of the victim’s 11-year-old son is a pure thriller. It helps in portraying the story more negatively. Sensationalism must be rejected in favor of constructive policies and social responses to crime and justice by carefully featuring human tales and approaching crime reporting.
References
HASSAN, DR. S., & MA , D. L. (2023). Introduction to Criminology. A Canadian Open Education Resource.
World News. (2023). Indian-Origin Sikh Man, 11-Year-Old Son Shot Dead In Gang Violence In Canada. NDTV.com. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/indian-origin-sikh-man-11-year-old-son-shot-dead-in-gang-violence-in-canada-4566251
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