To what extent are cults portrayed as dangerous in Australian Society?

The broadcasting, print, advertising and entertainment industries, collectively known as the 'mass media', are powerful because of their capability to permeate every segment of contemporary society and often influence how the public view themselves, their neighbours, their communities and their world. The mass media is society's ultimate conduit of information, presenting and interpreting local, national and international events. Its coverage can sometimes influence societal attitudes and opinions on a vast range of issues. People rely …

…overarching term, which could lead to the assumption that all NRM's have the potential to be dangerous. Such assumptions, if continually reinforced and fuelled may tap into the underlying perceptions of fear and create what Lee (2001 p 481) calls a "feedback loop". He describes it as a process whereby crime and the fear of crime feed off each other; thereby creating a continuous cycle of reinforcement. This concept could be equally applicable to other "fearful" situations.