Breaking the Silence - What Swedish Media Teach Us About Snitching and Street Loyalty
(2025) CCRM20 20251Sociology
- Abstract
- The snitch is a well known figure, often associated with deceit and betrayal. It appears in everyday life, embedded in joking jargons as well as in serious discussions of loyalty. Perhaps most significantly, the snitch symbolizes the culture of silence within criminal gangs, breaking the unwritten rule of not speaking to authorities. This thesis investigates how the figure of the snitch, and the act of snitching, have been represented in the Swedish media and examines the possible consequences of these representations by drawing on the concept of the code of the street - the informal rules guiding behavior around loyalty, justice, silence and violence in criminal contexts. Building on previous scholarship that has explored how norms of... (More)
- The snitch is a well known figure, often associated with deceit and betrayal. It appears in everyday life, embedded in joking jargons as well as in serious discussions of loyalty. Perhaps most significantly, the snitch symbolizes the culture of silence within criminal gangs, breaking the unwritten rule of not speaking to authorities. This thesis investigates how the figure of the snitch, and the act of snitching, have been represented in the Swedish media and examines the possible consequences of these representations by drawing on the concept of the code of the street - the informal rules guiding behavior around loyalty, justice, silence and violence in criminal contexts. Building on previous scholarship that has explored how norms of loyalty and silence shape identities in marginalized communities, and how popular culture expressions influence adherence to street code, this study bridges these areas of research by examining how media similarly contributes to the social construction of the snitch.
Based on articles published in Swedish editorial media since 2010, collected through a media archive, the material was analysed thematically, with the analysis revealing that media portrayals not only describe the act of snitching in ways that reaffirm the influence of the street code, but also actively participate in shaping narratives alluding to values of loyalty and belonging. By aligning with the logic of street code adherents, media coverage contributes to constructing a binary opposition, us versus them, which ultimately reinforces a simplified and antagonistic framing of the so-called war between gangs and mainstream society. While the findings of this study align with previous research on snitching as a complex moral career, they also highlight the need for further investigation into how such narratives are reproduced in everyday media consumption, particularly through social media. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- This thesis revisits the phenomenon of snitching - speaking up in a way that others may experience as betrayal - by exploring how this act is portrayed in a Swedish media context. While earlier research has often focused on why people snitch or choose to remain silent, this study builds on previous work about the influence of popular culture and media. It offers an understanding of how the figure of ‘the snitch’ is socially constructed, and how this figure comes to symbolize the wider fight against gang-related violence.
By incorporating the concept of the code of the street - the unwritten rules that shape behavior around justice, loyalty, and violence in criminal environments - three recurring ways of representing snitching in the... (More) - This thesis revisits the phenomenon of snitching - speaking up in a way that others may experience as betrayal - by exploring how this act is portrayed in a Swedish media context. While earlier research has often focused on why people snitch or choose to remain silent, this study builds on previous work about the influence of popular culture and media. It offers an understanding of how the figure of ‘the snitch’ is socially constructed, and how this figure comes to symbolize the wider fight against gang-related violence.
By incorporating the concept of the code of the street - the unwritten rules that shape behavior around justice, loyalty, and violence in criminal environments - three recurring ways of representing snitching in the media were identified. First, the code is reaffirmed and the snitch is portrayed as a traitor. Second, the code is questioned, with stories that balance the risks and rewards of speaking out. Third, the code is actively challenged, with voices from within breaking the silence.
Inspired by existing typologies on police informants, the thesis also introduces a new model for understanding how silence is negotiated in media coverage. The three identified types - the enforcer, the tightrope wanderer and the veil lifter - each reflect a different stance toward snitching and help explain how these positions are made visible in public narratives. In conclusion, the media do more than simply describe the code of the street, they also help reproduce it. Ideas about justice, loyalty and silence continue to shape how we talk about crime, and perhaps even how we live alongside it. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9202138
- author
- Henriksson, Sandra LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- CCRM20 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- code of the street, culture of silence, ideal-type analysis, media representation, snitching, retaliation
- language
- English
- id
- 9202138
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-18 17:18:55
- date last changed
- 2025-06-18 17:18:55
@misc{9202138,
abstract = {{The snitch is a well known figure, often associated with deceit and betrayal. It appears in everyday life, embedded in joking jargons as well as in serious discussions of loyalty. Perhaps most significantly, the snitch symbolizes the culture of silence within criminal gangs, breaking the unwritten rule of not speaking to authorities. This thesis investigates how the figure of the snitch, and the act of snitching, have been represented in the Swedish media and examines the possible consequences of these representations by drawing on the concept of the code of the street - the informal rules guiding behavior around loyalty, justice, silence and violence in criminal contexts. Building on previous scholarship that has explored how norms of loyalty and silence shape identities in marginalized communities, and how popular culture expressions influence adherence to street code, this study bridges these areas of research by examining how media similarly contributes to the social construction of the snitch.
Based on articles published in Swedish editorial media since 2010, collected through a media archive, the material was analysed thematically, with the analysis revealing that media portrayals not only describe the act of snitching in ways that reaffirm the influence of the street code, but also actively participate in shaping narratives alluding to values of loyalty and belonging. By aligning with the logic of street code adherents, media coverage contributes to constructing a binary opposition, us versus them, which ultimately reinforces a simplified and antagonistic framing of the so-called war between gangs and mainstream society. While the findings of this study align with previous research on snitching as a complex moral career, they also highlight the need for further investigation into how such narratives are reproduced in everyday media consumption, particularly through social media.}},
author = {{Henriksson, Sandra}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Breaking the Silence - What Swedish Media Teach Us About Snitching and Street Loyalty}},
year = {{2025}},
}