NCJ Number
61042
Date Published
1978
Length
22 pages
Annotation
THE PROCESS BY WHICH CRIMES ARE SELECTED FROM CRIME INCIDENTS AND THEN REPORTED IN NEWSPAPERS IS EXAMINED BECAUSE OF MEDIA'S INFLUENCE ON CITIZEN PERCEPTION OF CRIME.
Abstract
CRIME IS IMPORTANT TO NEWSPAPERS IN THAT IT IS PEOPLE-CENTERED, RECURRING, AND CONSIDERED A LEGITIMATE NEWS TOPIC. BECAUSE NEWSPAPERS DON'T HAVE SPACE TO REPORT ALL CRIMES, THE SELECTION PROCESS, AND DECISIONMAKING PROCESS UNDERLYING IT, ARE IMPORTANT AREAS TO STUDY. SOCIAL SCIENTISTS DISAGREE ABOUT WHETHER JOURNALISTS' DECISIONS ARE CONTROLLED BY OTHER JOURNALISTS, BY THEIR EMPLOYERS, OR BY THEIR NEWS SOURCES. ALTHOUGH MANY SOURCES OF NEWS ARE THEORETICALLY AVAILABLE TO CRIME REPORTERS, POLICE ARE THE MAJOR, AND SOMETIMES THE ONLY SOURCE, OF CRIME NEWS. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE AND THE CRIME REPORTER THOUGH MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TENDS TO LIMIT THE CRIMES WHICH BECOME NEWS. CRIME INFORMATION COMES MAINLY FROM LOWER RANKING OFFICERS, FOCUSES ON POLICE ACTIONS RATHER THAN ON COURT PROCEDURES, AND SERVES TO PROTECT POLICE BY OMITTING OFFICER MISTAKES. IT IS OFTEN INACCURATE. EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF 1,000 CRIME STORIES APPEARING IN CHICAGO NEWSPAPERS IN 1975 SHOWED THAT NEWSPAPERS FOCUSED MAINLY ON THE MOST VIOLENT CRIMES AND ON COMMISSION AND ARREST, AND DISREGARDED POSTARREST PROCEDURES, VICTIM DESCRIPTIONS, OR SUSPECT DESCRIPTIONS, EXCEPT RACE. STORIES WERE FOUND MOST OFTEN IN THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTIONS OF THE NEWSPAPER, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST THREE PAGES. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF CRIMES REPORTED DID NOT MATCH CITY CRIME PATTERNS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT CRIME NEWS IS A CONSTRUCTED REALITY, CRIME REPORTERS ARE CENTRAL TO THE INFORMATION RESTRICTING PROCESS, AND RELIANCE ON POLICE SOURCES IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS NARROW FOCUS. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)