The Demonization of Patronage: Folk Devils and the Boston Globe’s Coverage of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Abstract

This chapter argues that the negative view of patronage that pervades the public culture in Massachusetts (and elsewhere) resulted in its use as a following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. More specifically, the patronage folk devil was used to initiate a moral panic that implied an unsubstantiated causal link between personnel practices and the hijacking of two airplanes out of Logan Airport. The discussion begins with an explanation of moral panic theory and a definition of the folk devil concept. This is followed by a brief overview of the historical development of the patronage folk devil, followed by the relationship between Boston and patronage. The relevance of moral panic analysis to the Massport patronage case can be assessed using the framework established by Goode and Ben-Yehuda. They identified five criteria that must be present for a moral panic to exist: concern, hostility, consensus, disproportionality, and volatility.