American Media and Its Effects on Crime Victims
The news industry in the U.S. portrays crime stories differently than most other stories. Issues with inaccuracy, negative depictions, and excessive coverage all exacerbate the troubles that survivors face after victimization.
By Mikayla Melo
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What qualifies a crime story as newsworthy?
In American news and media, not all crime stories are created equal. There are several factors that contribute to making a story “newsworthy” and determine what stories get the most coverage. According to the Journal of Criminal Justice, there is research to prove that unusual crimes get more media attention because of their novelty. Crimes that seem outlandish, rare, or just completely strange will attract more readers due to the shock factor.
A research study by the Journal of Criminal Justice analyzed homicide numbers and subsequent media coverage in order to determine the qualifications for a newsworthy story. The study analyzed several characteristics such as race, gender, and nature of the crime. The conclusion of the study states that all of the characteristics analyzed play some role in determining a crime’s newsworthiness, though it is highly dependent on the social environments of the location.
To add, crimes that seem especially “socially deviant” often attract a large amount of attention. For example, the murder of a child or assault of an elderly woman goes strongly against cultural norms and ideals, and would prompt more media coverage. The Journal of Criminal Justice also claimed that in a study by Weiss and Chermak, white homicide victims were covered more often, despite Black homicide victims being more common in Indianapolis.
Portrayals and the "Ideal Victim"
Within the media, there is a search for the “ideal victim”. This figurative character can be described as someone “vulnerable, defenseless, innocent and worthy of sympathy and compassion,” according to News Media, Victims and Crime, an academic journal.
As a result of the “ideal victim” – though there is rarely such a thing in real life – there becomes a “hierarchy of victimization”. Those who are perceived as pure and innocent will receive mass amounts of news coverage, and those who could be perceived as “undeserving victims” may never truly gain the status of a victim.
Despite this, there are occasions where a victim receives large amounts of media coverage because of their possible discredibility as a victim. For example, if a victim has a past with drugs and alcohol, or even demonstrated sexual promiscuity, the media may latch on to this and shine more light on their possibly questionable past. The difference here is that the media does not reflect their stories with sympathy, compassion, and mourning, but instead with blame.
Differences in the format of media
Not all mediums of news treat crime stories equally either. According to a national study of television coverage, print journalism and TV newscasts cover crime differently, and may reflect victims differently. The empirical study analyzed a stratified random sample of newscasts from 2002-2003. The results of the study stated that social context, details of the crime, and the format of media presenting the case all have an effect on the portrayal.
In more long-form investigative journalism, you will likely see less of a bias in the types of victims reflected, and more diversity in the types of stories that are covered.
On the contrary, in a daily newsroom (typically broadcast), crime stories are often skewed and misrepresented. These daily newsrooms do not have the resources to fact-check as thoroughly as The Washington Post, for example, and they often are forced to make faster decisions in terms of what to cover and publish.
Consequently, when it comes to crime in small communities, these daily newsrooms are often a first point of contact for the residents as there is established trust and connection between reporters and citizens. The community looks to the newsroom for information about a recent crime, and it can often get misrepresented. This altered schemas and perceptions of the population and crime itself.
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Pros of news coverage
To start on a positive note, there are certainly some benefits that media coverage brings to a victim. According to Victim Service Providers, news coverage can humanize a crime by showing the impact on family and loved ones of a victim. Additionally, by speaking to the media, victims are sometimes validated in their experiences and garner support from the public. Media coverage can also help the public better understand crime and its social impacts. It increases public awareness and caution, and reminds the community that a crime can happen to anybody.
Lastly, and arguably most importantly, when one victim speaks out, it often inspires other victims of similar crimes to have their voices heard. It can expedite a case, convict a suspect, or just validate the experiences of a victim who may have thought they were alone all this time.
Cons of news coverage
However, there are several risks and consequences that come with excessive media coverage as a victim. According to a Media Guide for Victims, some of these consequences include possible negative coverage, loss of control, secondary victimization and inaccuracy. All of these risks are extremely harmful to an individual who has just been a victim of a crime. When reporting is insensitive or inaccurate, the individual may feel as though they are being victimized all over again, and have no control over their story or how it is being told.
More specifically, victims may feel a loss of control in terms of what is being published about them. If a reporter receives photos taken of a victim at a crime scene, they are not legally obligated to inform the victim or ask for permission to publish the photos. Most well-respected newspapers will not publish a photo of a victim, but some daily newsrooms and especially social media based outlets may not hesitate, as these photos bring shock factor and increase interaction.
In a research study by the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma, they concluded that those with preexisting negative well-being will be disproportionately impacted by media coverage. This is often the case with those who were recently victimized, and very soon after are forced to consume media about their experience. This can lead to retraumatization and increased negative mental well-being.
There is some speculation about the correlation of news coverage and PTSD. A study by Andreas Maercker and Astrid Mehr somewhat refuted this by researching the relationship between news coverage, PTSD, and retraumatization. Using a longitudinal group comparison design, the researchers examined victims 5-11 months after their victimization. According to the study, the most prominent reaction was one of negativity, specifically fear. Despite this conclusion being proven, there was only a moderate correlation between a negative response and PTSD symptoms. There is no concrete predictor for PTSD, but media staff should still take extra care when covering victims in order to avoid any possibility of exacerbating negative symptoms.
The consequences
That is truly the bottom line in all of this. Reporters and newsrooms need to be aware of how much their work impacts victims and how their coverage can impact a community’s worldview of crime and who is victimized. Not only are there negative consequences for the individual victims, but for entire communities. As crime continues to be misrepresented in the media, perception of crime also continues to be skewed, leading to social prejudice and undeserving stereotyping. High-profile cases that attract the media can have long lasting consequences on survivors, friends and loved ones involved in the case.
Just ask Kim Goldman.
Criminal case turned national obsession: The O.J. Simpson case
When a crime becomes extremely newsworthy and garners the status of a “high profile” case, the media frenzy begins. Whether the case is high profile due to the individuals involved or the nature of the crime, the news coverage will be extensive. Because of the suspect’s celebrity status, the O.J. Simpson case became an instantaneous national obsession.
By Mikayla Melo
Source: Pexels Free Images
Background
On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death outside Brown’s condo in Brentwood, California. Goldman was returning a pair of sunglasses that Brown had left at his place of work when the two were attacked. The Los Angeles Police Department was able to gather enough reliable evidence to suspect O.J. Simpson, a famous NFL player and Brown’s ex-husband, of the crime. Only five days later, over one third of Americans watched on their television screens as the once beloved football player led the police in a car chase.
Beginning in January 1995, the O.J. Simpson trial accumulated unprecedented media coverage. According to a law article about the case, “over two thousand reporters covered the trial… and when the verdict was finally read on October 3, 1995, some 142 million people listened or watched.” The verdict came back not guilty, and O.J. Simpson remains a free man.
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Ramifications for family and friends
For the loved ones of Brown and Goldman, the media’s obsession with the case was devastating. Kim Goldman, Ron Goldman’s sister, has since become an advocate for victim’s rights in the media. Kim Goldman launched a podcast titled “Media Circus”, where she speaks to victims of other high-profile cases, and analyzes the respective media coverage.
In a Fox News interview, Kim explains that she was unable to truly mourn her brother’s death because there was so much attention from the trial.
“[My father and I] were under such scrutiny. Cameras and people would follow us everywhere. You didn’t truly have a moment to just grieve,” said Kim.
When the media gets it wrong
Kim spoke about how the media consistently misrepresented her brother. She states that the news spread rumors about her brother, claiming he was a drug dealer or having an affair with Brown, both of which are completely false, according to Kim. The news depicted her brother as someone immoral and low, instead of a heroic 25-year-old man who tried to defend Brown while they were being attacked. With the media constantly portraying her murdered brother in a negative light, it made it impossible for Kim to move on.
“Because our case is so high-profile, I don’t get to choose to just ‘move on,’” she said in an interview with the Associated Press, “The rest of the world, they’re always revisiting this.”
As mentioned in the above article, victims that could be discredited are sometimes given more media attention. The news latched on to a rumor that Goldman was a drug dealer, which discredited his victim status. By also spreading that Goldman was having an affair with Brown, the media allowed the public to blame Goldman for what happened, which further pushed their family into a negative light.
In the Maercker and Mehr study explained before, the correlation between trauma and inaccurate news coverage is more concrete than those whose experiences were accurately predicted.
According to the report, “reactions were significantly more negative when the content of the report was not considered to be accurate.”
Kim speaks about the ongoing trauma that she experiences because of the case and subsequent media coverage. She reports feeling angry, betrayed, and still struggles to find forgiveness even decades after.
Not only did the publicity of the case damage her brother’s reputation, but the public began to attack Kim’s as well. With cameras everywhere, filming her every reaction during the trial, Kim and her family faced constant scrutiny. The public questioned her integrity and her love for her brother, asking why she was crying so much, or why she wasn’t crying enough.
Looking forward
It is impossible to properly understand and reflect on one’s grief when the entire world is telling you how to feel. Kim never got the chance to wholly mourn the loss of her brother due to the contant news coverage, and she still struggles with the effects of this today.
While it is understandable that news coverage of high-profile crimes such as this can sometimes have positive effects, such as policy change or inspiring other survivors, it can also have irreparable damages. It compounds the trauma for survivors and loved ones, and often leaves everyone involved retraumatized. A report by the Office for Victims of Crime explains that this pattern is a two-way street. Journalists must receive better education about crime victim’s needs and emotional responsibilities, and victim’s services need to understand the constraints of the media industry.
The news industry is starting on the path to reform. In many journalism schools, students are being taught ethics in dealing with sensitive stories, and how to compassionately approach trauma survivors. Many newsrooms are including these topics in their code of ethics, and reforming the culture of covering trauma.
While there is still significant work to be done in ensuring a more humane and empathetic reporting culture, advocates such as Kim Goldman are paving the way. Kim has since put out a book, Media Circus, where she provides a platform for families of crime victims to share their side.
“We all have a right to tell our story,” Kim said.
