FROM HABITUALLY TO AWARENESS: TOOLS FOR DEALING WITH AN INCREASE IN “PREVENTIVE AWARENESS” OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINALITY BY MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Jacob RUB State University of Moldova

Rezumat

The unique, primary characteristic of white-collar criminality is that the media does not report these crimes in full and in detail as they report about street crimes, as the amount of theft has to be high, the theft needs to be related to some scandal or the suspect has to be someone important. Most people also do not possess of the financial knowledge to understand these crimes. Additionally, white-collar criminality does not fit the stereotype of a real criminal despite the immense scope of the sums. In many cases, it is not possible to understand/identify the damage as it is divided by a large number of victims. The media solution can glorify events and design public attitudes main source of information about criminality for all the public. “The medium is the message”. Findings show that the bias in coverage, affects the 'perception' of risk by people. Creation of messages delivery is by creating a media agenda, public agenda, political agenda. White-collar offences must hold a key spot in the Israeli and Moldavian societies and their main expression is in the development of a culture that is defined as normative. The messages in the war against corruption must include a focused and targeted explanation like: “To the attention of foreign accounts owners”. This is one of the tools to assist in war against white - collar criminality. It is my claim that this tool will prove itself in campaigns when to turn its attention to white-collar crime, hoping that the current financial climate will change. Creation of a focused public awareness regarding the price each citizen pays, out of his own pocket, due to whitecollar criminality by media campaign, will make possible to understand the damage as it is divided by a large number of victims, will contribute to reduction of white-collar criminality in the public sector. Another tool to fight against white collar crime is the informer. This is one of the tools to assist in locating whitecollar criminality or the “justice line”. This tool has proved itself in various campaigns when citizens have reported instances of fraud and deceit, like in the UK .Using the help of opinion leaders like Michael Douglas the actor that had taken a part in campaigns. Operative actions are recommended to perform a campaigns pilot with 3 cities in each district in the state of Israel and Moldova for the duration of two years. Campaigns against corruptions have reached success in Chile, Hong Kong, New South Wales, Australia and Singapore. Keywords: media campaigns, white-collar criminality, public awareness, not stereotype of a real criminal, the media solution, the medium is the message, messages delivery by creating a media agenda, public agenda, political agenda normative culture, reduction of white-collar criminality in the public sector, the price each citizen pays, out of his own pocket, due to white-collar criminality.