How do news reports about serious crimes affect public perceptions of crime?

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collection of evidence at a crime scene — criminology FBI workers collecting evidence.

In the field of criminology, media coverage of serious crimes significantly shapes public perception by reinforcing specific biases rather than reflecting objective reality. News reports often prioritize certain narratives, such as the phenomenon known as "missing white woman syndrome," which grants disproportionate attention to white female victims while underreporting crimes against marginalized groups, including Black, Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities.1

This selective reporting creates a distorted view of who is considered a "worthy" victim, which is ethically problematic as it marginalizes the experiences of minority groups and ignores the reality that Black individuals constitute the majority of homicide victims in the United States. Furthermore, media portrayals often frame suspects in ways that rely on harmful racial, class-based, or mental health stereotypes. By simplifying complex social issues into biased narratives, news and true-crime media can perpetuate systemic prejudices and obscure the broader, more accurate picture of crime in society.1

Are you interested in how these media biases specifically influence public policy or fear of crime?