NCJ Number
170550
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 34 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1997) Pages: 474-494
Date Published
1997
Length
21 pages
Annotation
A content analysis of 105 feature articles on crime published in 4 national newspapers between 1992 and 1995 focused on the topics covered and the nature of quotes offered by two groups of experts.
Abstract
The articles were published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune. The articles were all indexed as features and contained at least one quote from a crime expert. The experts included 112 government managers (police and politicians) and 67 intellectuals (professors and nonacademic researchers). Results revealed that the articles covered 47 separate topics, particularly crime rates and tends, the crime decline in New York City, youth crime and juvenile delinquency, and politicians discussing crime. The articles placed disproportionate emphasis on street crime; only one article focused on white-collar crimes. The articles reproduced a public image of lawlessness and indicated a moral panic against street crime. The experts' statements tended to confirm that crime is a problem, served as technical remarks, criticized popular perceptions of crime, criticized official statistics and trends, and conveyed alarmist reactions to crime. Results supported previous research that demonstrated the media's major reliance on law enforcement officials in formulating primary definitions of crime. Tables and 54 references (Author abstract modified)