Christopher McCormick

St. Thomas University

Chris McCormick teaches criminology at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

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  • Constructing Danger, 2nd edition

    Emotions and Mis/Representation of Crime in the News

    By Christopher McCormick     September 2010

    Crime reporting is often thought to be simply an objective and factual description of an event. In Constructing Danger Chris McCormick argues that crime is more than simply reported: it is constructed. And sometimes it is distorted, exaggerated and manipulated in order to create certain impressions of and opinions about the world. Examining issues such as how misrepresentations of AIDS perpetuates harmful stereotypes, the underrepresentation of women in the news, the trivialization of sexual assault and the sensationalized focus on violent crime, this book challenges readers to approach the news with a more critical eye and to recognize how misrepresentations lead to a distorted perception of the world. Further, this book asks the reader to consider the consequences of holding this distorted vision, from increased surveillance and legislation to the normalization of violence.

  • The Westray Chronicles

    A Case Study in Corporate Crime

    Edited by Christopher McCormick     January 1999

    In this book authors from backgrounds as diverse as engineering to public relations are brought together to create a holistic picture of what happened at Westray. From an analysis of the geology of the underlying coal seam to an assessment of the difficulties of pinning legal responsibility on the company, the government or any of the managers, this book constitutes one of the few case studies of corporate crime in Canada. The contributors offer the reader challenging new ways to think about workplace disasters and occupational injuries. Each contributor brings their special expertise to bear in a way that makes complicated issues transparent to the most general reader. At the same time, footnotes and references guide the reader who desires more extensive information.