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Chapter 18 Supplement The News Media's Coverage of

Crime and Victimization

• A 1997 study published by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) found that since 1993, coverage of murders on network evening news shows rose over 700% and overall crime news tripled. Between 1993 and 1996, crime was the most heavily covered topic on network evening news, with 7,448 stories, or one out of every seven news stories on all topics. The amount of crime news tripled from the early 1990s, although violent crime rates declined during the same period (CMPA 1997a).

• According to CMPA, 24% of all stories on the leading syndicated tabloid television news programs dealt with crime; 21% with sex; 17% with accidents and disasters; and 10% with self-destructive behavior such as drug and alcohol abuse. Only 7% of stories dealt with "uplifting themes" such as heroic acts (CMPA 1997b).

• The Washington, D.C. chapter of Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has developed an informational card that reporters can use to inform crime victims and witnesses about the process of covering a story involving crime and victimization. According to chapter President Don Dudley, "news coverage of crimes benefits from having the perspective of victims and witnesses."

The text of the card, which reporters can hand to victims or leave with a friend or family member, says:

I am a news reporter, and I would like to interview you. I understand that you or someone close to you has been the victim of a crime, or you were a witness to a crime. I do not intend to add to the difficulties you are now facing. My job is to inform members of the public about crimes so that they may protect themselves from becoming victims in the future, and to inform them of the progress police make investigating and solving such crimes.

If you do not wish to talk with me now, you may call later at the number below.

______________________________ _____________________________

Reporter's Name Telephone #

______________________________

News Organization

Victim service providers and justice professionals can inform their community's news media about the availability of the SPJ Crime Victims Card, which can be ordered from the Washington, D.C. SPJ chapter at P.O. Box 19555, Washington, DC 20036-0555.

• The Victims and the Media Program of Michigan State University's School of Journalism--co-sponsored by the Michigan Victims Alliance--is a special initiative that focuses on the media's portrayal and treatment of victims of violence. Established in 1991, the program was developed in response to growing concerns about the media's handling of victims. The program is designed to reach both journalism students and professionals, and its goals include educating both groups about the effects of violence and helping them improve their interpersonal skills, so that they can do a better job of approaching and interviewing victims. The efforts also address victims' concerns about media coverage, and the role of such coverage in shaping public perceptions of both victims and violence.

Of special note, the program provides research that gathers data on professional policies and practices, monitors news coverage of victims, assesses how journalists attempt to deal with trauma, and develops guidelines for journalists who report on crime and outreach through the "victims and the media response team." The response team, comprised of faculty, journalists, therapists, victims, and victim advocates, provides instruction on victim issues and debriefs journalists who suffer from the stress of reporting on incidents of violence.

According to their Web site, the MSU Victims and the Media program is a promising partnership that makes a significant difference in how the journalists of today and in the future cover issues of crime and victimization. The Web site address is <http://victims.

jrn.msu.edu/> (MSU School of Journalism April 2000).

• A comprehensive list of electronic linkages to Web sites sponsored by international, national, and regional journalism associations has been compiled by the Poynter Institute. Many of these associations have sponsored forums about the news media's coverage of crime over the past decade. The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders, and promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of craft and in the practical leadership of successful businesses. The list of journalism associations is available from the Poynter Institute's Web site at: <www.poynter.org/

research/jsites/je_jsites1.htm>.

To address the "privacy concerns (that) apply to average citizens who are suddenly caught in the news by virtue of a tragedy or their connection to an otherwise newsworthy event," the Poynter Institute developed a series of important questions journalists should ask themselves as they balance the public's need to know with an individual's right to privacy:

1. What is my journalistic purpose in seeking this information? In reporting it?

2. Does the public have a justifiable need to know? Or is this matter just one in which some want to know?

3. How much protection does this person deserve? Is this person a public official, public figure, or celebrity? Is this person involved in the news event by choice or by chance?

4. What is the nature of harm I might cause by intruding on someone's privacy?

5. Can I cause considerable harm to someone just by asking questions, observing activity, or obtaining information even if I never actually report the story?

6. How can I better understand this person's vulnerability and desire for privacy? Can I make a better decision by talking with this person?

7. What alternative approaches can I take in my reporting and my storytelling to minimize the harm of privacy invasion while still fulfilling my journalistic duty to inform the public? For instance, can I leave out some "private" matters while still accurately and fairly reporting the story? Or can I focus more on a system failure issue rather than reporting intensely on one individual? (Steele 1999)

Chapter 18 Supplement References

Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA). 1997b. Tabloid TV Is Bad News for Kids, press release. Washington, DC: Author.

Michigan State University (MSU) School of Journalism. 2000. Victims and the Media Overview. <http://victims.jrn.msu.edu/overview.html>.

Steele, B. 1999. Respecting Privacy Guidelines. St. Petersburg, FL: Poynter Institute.

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