How to humiliate and shame: a reporter's guide to the power of the mugshot

Citation

​​Lashmar, P. (2014). How to humiliate and shame: A reporter's guide to the power of the mugshot. Social Semiotics, 24(1).

The essay analyzes the historical and theoretical context of the mugshot. The author argues that mugshots have been used to construct subjective notions of “the other”, “the lesser” or “sub-human” on the grounds of class, race and religion. The author concludes that mugshots have become a signifier widely used to exclude or deride certain groups in the media, particularly in the tabloid press and TV, which seeks to separate rather than unify society.