By Leslie Doyle | 08/18/2025
If you regularly watch the evening news, you might feel like something horrific is always happening somewhere. The jarring images and suspenseful music are unsettling, and they’re designed to be that way.
News stations use all sorts of tactics, ranging from “breaking news” banners to teaser footage, to capture viewers’ attention. But what is the connection between the media and crime? What impact does news coverage have on crime reporting and public understanding of the justice system?
Why Are We So Fascinated with Crime?
News outlets frequently focus a great deal of airtime on violent crime stories. Perhaps that is why we find this content compelling. A recent poll found that nearly half of Americans enjoy watching true crime stories.
Experts disagree on what drives this fascination with true crime. However, the interest in crime stories comes from a complex array of factors, such as impulse seeking and a perception that learning about crime will protect us.
Mass Media, News Coverage, and Media Consolidation
People turn to mass media to stay up to date on what’s happening in their area and around the world. Mass media includes various media outlets, such as print media, social media, and TV news. The news media covers everything from public service announcements to true crime stories.
Today, it may appear that we have a vast number of choices when it comes to news. However, large corporations and other conglomerates have bought up so many media outlets that they now dictate the news we see.
“Media consolidation enables a small few media outlets to control the narrative and messaging,” says Dr. Jarrod Sadulski, a criminal justice professor with American Military University’s School of Security and Global Studies. “If consolidated media groups decide not to report on a crime, then the public does not hear about the crime. Media consolidation can lead to crime being portrayed in a way that is not accurate. That can lead the public to only gain insight into one aspect of crime.”
As of 2022, 90% of the news media companies in the U.S. were owned by just six major organizations:
- AT&T®
- CBS®
- Comcast®
- Disney®
- News Corp®
- Viacom®
Even small local news stations have fallen prey to this media consolidation. When we turn on the TV or watch news online, we may think we’re getting independent information from our local ABC, CBS, or NBC station, but that’s often not so.
Some local TV news stations are owned by Gray Media®, Nexstar Media Group®, and Sinclair Broadcast Group®, thanks to media consolidation.
Sadulski cautions that what people see on the local news often isn’t the full scope of what’s occurring when it comes to crime. “Viewers may not be informed in real time what charges may be applied or the current status of an investigation.
“The public should conduct their own research into what is being reported on one news source. Multiple sources of information should be used by the public to ensure that they understand the whole picture.”
Social Media’s Influence on Crime News
Roughly half of adults in the U.S. say they learn about local crime news from crime-related posts on social media. Both the advent of 24-hour media coverage and social media have had a considerable impact on how crime is reported.
For one thing, people now have near-instant access to crime stories and breaking developments. News outlets are under pressure to share information immediately. If they get it wrong, this news may have already gone viral and have been shared by thousands or even millions of people through social media.
The aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing is a prime example. In the harrowing days after the bombs went off, people took to Twitter® and Facebook® to be a part of hunting down the perpetrators. With the Boston community on edge, people inadvertently made – and shared – false information on social media about innocent parties.
“Social media has impacted the perception of crime by making it difficult to verify the validity of the information,” says Dr. Sadulski. “Anyone can post content online. There are few safeguards to ensure that what is reported on social media is accurate, which can lead to false reporting.”
“Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides legal immunity to online platforms for content created by their users. As a result, social media platforms cannot be held accountable for false reporting of content on their websites.
“If this provision was removed and social media platforms could be held accountable for false reporting, then social media platforms would be proactive in ensuring what is being spread on the internet through social media is accurate. That would also aid in crimes that are committed through social media, such as crimes against children.”
In addition, many social media users are unaware that the sites they visit use algorithms to keep them engaged. If they share or like a crime story, for example, the algorithm will tell the site to serve up more similar content.
This method is a self-fulfilling prophecy. For instance, a reader sees a news story about a violent crime and so they’re served up more news about violent crimes, altering their perception of crime rates.
The Public Perception of Crime Doesn’t Always Match Reality
A 2024 Gallup poll shows that more than 60% of Americans believe that crime is on the rise, despite statistics showing otherwise. This mistaken public perception may be due in part to the frequency of coverage and the type of crime news they consume.
Certain crimes – such as murder, sexual assault, and aggravated assault – are given much attention by news outlets. Consuming these news stories presents a skewed view of criminal activity and gives viewers an inaccurate representation of how crimes are investigated and solved.
“Television shows depict unrealistic criminal investigations and create a misperception within the public,” says Dr. Sadulski. “An example is the CSI effect. Shows such as CSI Miami and others lead the public to believe that through advanced crime scene technology that crime can be solved in an unrealistic timeframe.
“In an hour-long episode, the public is led to believe that evidence can be processed quickly. DNA and other criminal investigation tools immediately identify suspects and then suspects can easily be located.”
He adds, “In reality, evidence collection is a tedious task that takes a lot of time. Crime scenes must be secured. Specialized equipment and personnel have to be brought to the scene.
“Crime scene investigations are lengthy and do not always result in the crime being solved. Detectives often spend months or years investigating a crime.”
In fact, official crime statistics and police reports show reductions in crimes involving violence. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there have been double-digit reductions in homicide rates in many cities since 2023.
For example, the Department of Justice’s website notes, “2023 had one of the lowest violent crime rates in the past half-century and preliminary data for 2024 shows that violent crime has continued to decline considerably, including a 17.5% decline in murder, 7.1% decrease in rape, 3.6% decrease in aggravated assault, and 7.8% decline in robbery over the first three quarters of the year.”
However, local news coverage often overly emphasizes violent crimes and instills fear in people.
Misleading Media Portrayals of Suspects and Victims
Media portrayals of suspects and victims play a crucial role in creating public perceptions. Many research studies have highlighted the disparities in the treatment of white and Black suspects by the news media.
One report found that news outlets used mugshots of Black people accused of a crime 45% of the time and did so only 8% of the time for white defendants. These statistics influence the presumption of guilt.
Numerous studies have also found that news coverage involving Black suspects was far out of line with the percentage of Black individuals involved with criminal activity. This skewed view of this population sparks mistrust in the residents of many communities.
Media Coverage and Its Effect on Criminal Justice
The media’s coverage and portrayal of specific cases also affects the criminal justice system in many communities. Public opinion influences how politicians and other policymakers react to criminal cases. When society puts pressure on officials, that shapes criminal justice policies and dictates how the criminal justice system responds.
This influence can be felt at a macro and micro level. At the macro level, news stories and media reports can sway the public to focus on certain criminal activity and put pressure on the criminal justice system to respond.
At a micro level, local news coverage of high-profile cases can shift public opinion, including the opinions of jurors. Even though jurors are often told to avoid news coverage, that may not be feasible in an era where we’re bombarded with news 24/7.
Fake News Is Easy to Spread
Studies on fake news have repeatedly found that it is hard for viewers to discern fact from fiction. Media outlets call themselves “news,” but the reality is that there is little oversight over the information they share. No one vets the stories.
Additionally, news now has become our entertainment. In the fight for more viewers, media outlets may sensationalize stories or rush stories to air without properly ensuring their information is credible.
Fear of Crime Affects Public Behavior
Public fear of being a victim of a crime has increased, despite decreases in violent crime. Public attitudes and fears can exacerbate community problems. In a South African study, one report found that the fear of crime reduces social activity and increases the cost of the criminal justice system.
Protecting Credible News Media
The relationship between the media and the communities they serve is complex. Media outlets have a responsibility to accurately portray news of criminal activity to their viewers.
“The public can support credible journalists,” says Dr. Sadulski. “Journalists that simply report the news without their own analysis can help the public make decisions based on facts alone.
“The public can take a more active role and insist that fair and balanced reporting takes place. That way, the public will be informed of the entire picture when it comes to crime or crime trends.”
Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degrees at AMU
If you’re interested in criminology, criminal investigation, and other related topics, American Military University (AMU) provides an online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and an online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
Course for these degree programs are taught by criminal justice experts and include topics such as U.S. law enforcement, criminal profiling, and crime analysis. These degree programs offer several concentrations to suit the professional goals of students.
Want more details? Visit AMU’s criminal justice degree program page.
Note: Both degree programs are not designed to meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in any country, state, province or other jurisdiction. These programs have not been approved by any state professional licensing body and do not lead to any state-issued professional licensure.
AT&T is a registered trademark of AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
CBS is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
Comcast is a registered trademark of the Comcast Corporation.
Disney is a registered trademark of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
News Corp is a registered trademark of News Australia Pty., Ltd.
Viacom is a registered trademark of Paramount Global.
Gray Media is a registered trademark of Gray Media, Inc.
Nexstar Media Group is a registered trademark of Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Sinclair Broadcast Group is a registered trademark of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Twitter is a registered trademark of the X Corporation.
Facebook is a registered trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc.
