What evidence is there to support the view that the public's fear of crime is shaped by news media reporting?

Western society is fascinated with crime and justice. From films, books, newspapers, magazines, television broadcasts, to everyday conversations, we are constantly engaging in crime "talk". The mass media play an important role in the construction of criminality and public knowledge about crime as Surette's research (1996) reveals. However, does coverage of sensationalistic and violent crime also create fear among the general public? I shall argue that the media play a substantial role in determining the amount …

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