Effects Of Crime In The Media

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Generally, the public 's knowledge of crime rates are gained from various forms of media but rarely does the media accurately present to the public the truth of crime rates. This misrepresentation at times causes unrealistic fear for safety in the general public. The fear of victimisation and the reality of victimisation will be the first issue discussed here in order to examine this unrealistic fear of crime. Media influences on perception of crime trends will addressed, followed by media bias and influence in crime misconceptions. Then the exploration of the natures of information and entertainment of crime in the media will establish the effects of crime news combined with crime entertainment on perceptions and lastly investigative predicter …show more content…
O 'Connell backs this claim with a study conducted using over 2000 Irish newspaper articles involving crime. O 'Connell explains that there are four key tactics media use in order to distort crime perceptions consisting of; biases concerning major and unusual offences; biases involving offences in regard to news space available; biases in favor of the involvement of vulnerable victims verse invulnerable perpetrators and finally biases towards the faults, flaws and short commings of the Criminal Justice System. O 'Connell (1999) argues that these four tactics are why the population experience exaggerated fears of crime victimisation. The public 's opinions and approval of crime are largly influenced by the media acocrding to Altheide (2006), expressing that the media manipulates through news management and propagander. Stating that the mass media not only premotes and indulges the public 's distortion of crime trends but also justifies illegal methods used to combat crime or …show more content…
Lowry, Nio and Leitner (2003) discuss a study concerning the effects of three television news predictor variables and two Federal Brureu of Investigations predicter variables to uncover what statistically caused this esculation in fear. Reviewed data ranging from 1978 to 1998 suggested that the rise in fear of crime could be linked to a network television news scare rather than fears based on crimes occuring in reality. The television news variables alone totaled for as much as four times more variance than true crime figures held by the

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