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From Sounds Bites to Sound Policy: Reclaiming the High Ground in Criminal Justice Policy-Making

Introduction I. Media Informs and Distorts Public Perceptions of Crime A. Distorting Effect of Extensive Media Coverage of Crime 1. Public Policy as an Expression of Powerlessness and Outrage 2.Media's Influence on the Perceptions of Leniency B. Understanding the Theories Underlying Media Influence 1. Cultivation Theory 2. Social Network Theory II. Media Informs Public Perceptions of Race A. Media Influences Public Perception of Who Commits Crimes 1. Over-Reporting Crime Frequency in Eras of Declining Crime 2.Public Perception of Race Exacerbates Crime Issue B. Politicians Capitalize on Timing and Media Focus 1. A Closer Look at Legislation 2. "Tough on Crime" Political Stance is Fueled by Media and Fear III. Why Does This Happen? A. State of the News Media Field 1. Crime is Easy and Cheap to Cover a. Financial Pressures, Marketing, and Televised News b. Financial Pressures, Marketing, and Newspapers 2. Journalists, Like the Public, Embrace and Perpetuate Stereotypes and Misperceptions 3. Bias May Flow From Where the News Media Get Their Information B. A Need for Oversight Conclusion INTRODUCTION It is now axiomatic that the media informs and shapes the public's opinion about crime and criminal justice. The catch phrase "if it bleeds, it leads" continues to embody and animate the sentiment that guides much of the editorial judgment about the stories that newspapers should report on their front pages or that local and national television news should feature. Indeed, the media's fascination--and even obsession--with crime has garnered considerable scholarly attention and commentary. (1) Studies have demonstrated the strong correlation between the amount of media coverage on a particular topic with public knowledge and interest on that topic. When it comes to crime coverage, television programming not only tends to suggest that crime happens at greater frequency than it does, but it also exaggerates the amount of violent crime in the world relative to property crime. (2) The exaggeration effect of this coverage is that the public perceives the world as a much more violent and personally dangerous place than actual crime statistics would support. So-called "reality shows" only add to the perception of ever-present danger. These shows often tantalize viewers with actual footage of police crime investigations or dramatic reenactments of the real-life experiences of police officers, suspects, and EMT workers. Even crime dramas that do not purport to be reality shows adhere to the proven marketing gimmick that they are only slightly fictionalized versions of what actually happens on our streets. As in any dramatic presentation, the overriding goal of these shows is to create a dramatic effect rather than an accurate portrayal. But by offering the viewing public an "insider's" look at the gritty reality of law enforcement, the public understandably believes it is glimpsing a reality over which they have little control and much to fear. More often than not, these narratives adopt the perspective of law enforcement (3) and depict crime as both random and the result of individual pathology rather than larger social ills such as poverty, racism, and unemployment. (4) The goal of both reality and real-life crime dramas is to create a visceral impact on the public, but the unintended effect is that these dramatic renderings at once affect and shape public perceptions of actual crime and fuel the public's belief that tough legislative responses offer the public its only opportunity to gain control over an environment in which crime runs rampant. (5) Thus, unless the general public has access to strong countervailing sources of information on crime, their perceptions will be influenced perhaps subconsciously by these skewed inputs. …