International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Crime reporting represents a significant component of →  Newspapers in the western world. This is the case for both broadsheets and tabloids, although crime coverage in tabloids tends to be more sensational, in terms of the types of crime covered, as well as the use of emotive language and visual images (→  Photojournalism ; Sensationalism ; Tabloid Press ). The most up-to-date research in the US and UK suggests approximately 25 percent of newspaper articles are dedicated to crime and justice stories ( Reiner et al. 2003 ). Furthermore, studies have shown crime news stories are read and remembered by a greater percentage of readers than any other type of news story ( Graber 1980 ; →  Exposure to the News ). Crime news in Europe can be traced back to reports of witchcraft trials in the late sixteenth century. Around the same time, specific pamphlets dedicated to crime news emerged, which included regular court reports written by court clerks. The amount of crime reporting increased in a variety of printed formats, as the commercial benefits of the genre became established. In the US, crime reporting was less common, although notorious crimes often warranted special reports from the courtroom. It was only in the 1830s, however, that crime news became a staple of newspaper reporting, with the advent of the penny presses, the overtly populist daily newspapers in the major eastern ... log in or subscribe to read full text