NCJ Number
153987
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This research -- an analysis of print coverage of the crime bill and interviews with many of the national reporters who provided this coverage -- was designed to provide criminal justice officials with a useful perspective of how crime is covered.
Abstract
Although 44 percent of the respondents named crime/the crime bill as the most important story they have covered this year, they are not confident the legislation will be effective in reducing crime. The tone of the print coverage of the crime bill was somewhat more negative than positive, and it emphasized political angles over policy considerations. The quality of the overall coverage of the crime bill was ranked somewhat lower than other major stories in 1994; 73 percent of the journalists' recommendations involved coverage of more policy and less politics. The journalists want to learn more about crime issues; 88 percent of the respondents said they would attend local briefings on crime issues if they were conducted by nonpartisan organizations with recognized leaders in the field. The journalists did not give themselves high marks on their own knowledge of issues associated with the crime bill; in a self- evaluation, the journalists ranked themselves less knowledgeable on crime issues in general (6.88) as compared to their "most important story" this year (8.04). Survey questions and responses are provided.