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Crime Reporting in Newspapers: An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Ethnic References in Crime News

NCJ Number
127019
Journal
Social Behaviour Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1990) Pages: 87-101
Author(s)
F W Winkel
Date Published
1990
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Within the mass communication sciences, there is much criticism of the way in which journalists report on crime and ethnic minorities.
Abstract
This article examines both of these issues as they intersect in ethnic references in crime news. Two studies were conducted in the Netherlands which support the belief that ethnic references can result in collective damage. It seems clear that the newspaper reader tends to interpret the stories in a way that serves only to increase racism in the reader or leave it unchanged. Racial identification seems to do nothing to counter-stereotype minority groups. The study also suggests that ethnic references in newspaper headlines result in biased processing of information about crime. In some instances, an illusory correlation between foreigners and crime manifests itself. In view of these outcomes, the article concludes with a plea for the commission of ethnic references in mass media crime reports. 3 tables and 48 references (Author abstract modified)

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