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200684 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.200684 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 35 pages Sanchez, Maia Zavala, Tania Brehman, Brian Pomeranz, Heather Barrett, The Honors College School of Criminology and Criminal Justice In today’s media-driven society, crime films and television play a major role in shaping public perceptions of violence, policing, and the criminal justice system. This thesis investigates how these portrayals influence college students’ views on real-world crime and justice, with a particular focus on differences between criminal justice (CJ) majors and non-CJ students. Using a combination of literature review and qualitative interviews with criminal justice professionals, this study explores the extent to which media consumption leads to fear of crime, desensitization, and distorted beliefs about law enforcement, courts, and crime rates. Findings from existing research indicate that repeated exposure to sensationalized crime media contributes to skewed perceptions of crime prevalence and encourages unrealistic expectations about justice system effectiveness. Interviews with professors and professionals reinforced these concerns, highlighting that CJ students tend to be more critical of media portrayals, while non-CJ students are more likely to accept them as accurate. These differences emphasize the importance of education and media literacy in helping students distinguish fact from fiction. This study underscores the need for greater media literacy efforts across college curricula to reduce misinformation, challenge stereotypes, and promote informed, critical engagement with crime-related media. As media continues to influence how young people view crime and safety, equipping students with the tools to think critically about these messages is more important than ever. 169032 The Influence of Popular Media on College Students: Skewed Perceptions on the Reality of Violence and Crime