An analysis of crime reporting (and audience perceptions of it) in selected South African media
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- Submited: October 22, 2022
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Published: October 24, 2022
Abstract
The study on which this article was based was part of an international news study,
conducted in 10 countries (Australia, China, Chile, Germany, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia,
South Africa and the USA). In this article, the way in which crime as a topic is dealt with
in selected news media is explored. Focus group results were also analysed to establish
how people perceive crime reporting. Shoemaker’s theory on news values is applied to
analyse media content and results from focus groups. From the analysis, it emerged
that the media perform a surveillance function on behalf of their audiences and that
the news media apply regular news values to decide on the reporting and presentation
of news items dealing with crime events. Media audiences make practical use of
information provided by the media on crime events to take precautions or to become
aware of dangerous situations and people. Shoemaker’s theory also provides a valuable
framework according to which news content can be analysed and understood.
The data used in this study was collected as part of the What’s News? Project, based at
the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New
York, USA, and is part of a larger study of the definition of news in ten countries. The
principal investigators are Dr Pamela J. Shoemaker (Syracuse University) and Dr Akiba
Cohen (Tel Aviv University, Israel). Additional researchers participated in the study from
the following countries: Australia, China, Chile, India, Israel, Germany, Jordan, Russia,
South Africa and the United States. Syracuse University acknowledges the support of
the John Ben Snow Foundation.
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