No Way of Knowing: Crime, Urban Legends and the Internet (American Popular History and Culture (Routledge (Firm)).)

Examining "old media" treatment of crime legends: news reports, fictional film and television depictions, and "new media" interactive discussions: versions and discussions circulating in Internet newsgroups and via electronic mail lists, this text examines a social context vastly changed from the height of rumour research in the mid-20th century. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 The Market in Snuff Films......Page 38 Stolen Body Parts......Page 72 Shopping Mall and Theme Park Abduction Legends......Page 96 Debunkers and their Orbit......Page 122 Crime Legends and the Role of Belief......Page 144 Crime Legends, Protection, and Fear......Page 168 A Summary......Page 200 Notes......Page 214 Bibliography......Page 228 Index......Page 240 Introduction -- The Market In Snuff Films -- Stolen Body Parts -- Shopping Mall And Theme Park Abduction Legnends -- Debunkers And Their Orbit -- Crime Legends And The Role Of Belief -- Crime Legends, Protection, And Fear -- A Summary. Pamela Donovan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-228) And Index. This volume examines both "old media" treatment of crime legends: news reports, fictional film and television depictions, as well as "new media" interactive discussions of them: versions and discussions circulating in Internet newsgroups and via electronic mail lists