Fear of crime is a widespread problem in the United States. Survey data have indicated that most people receive their information about crime from the mass media and other studies have documented the corroborative relationship between sensationalized news reporting and citizens’ fear of crime. The current study examined how local television, national television, newspapers, radio, and the Internet impacted residents fear of crime in Washington, DC. The study also assessed whether demographic factors and social conditions interacted with media exposure to influence fear of crime. Media exposure was measured through frequency of consumption and salience to respondent. Random telephone interviews were conducted with 480 Washington, DC residents; questions regarded the frequency and saliency of media consumption and various measures of fear of crime and perceived risk of victimization. The analysis controlled for respondent’s local crime conditions as measured at the police district level. The findings indicate that media plays a significant role in shaping citizens’ perceptions and beliefs about crime. Respondents who mainly received news from local television broadcasts also reported the most fear of crime. The findings reveal that media and real-world conditions have different effects on different groups of people. The findings are analyzed through the real-world, cultivation, substitution, and resonance theoretical perspectives that shed light on the relationship between the media, real-world conditions, and fear of crime. Future research should examine audience reactions to media messages in order to understand how crime stories are interpreted. Tables, references