Crime - Myths and Facts

There are many ways in which the public interprets and reacts to crime. These perceptions are often inaccurate because of the media's unrealistic method in presenting crime. Discussions relating to how the media presents forms of crime, what is true and false about these representations and the effects crime myths have on society will be discussed in detail throughout this assignment. Conclusions will be drawn to sum up the discussion.
Firstly, the media portrays some crimes differently than how they are often reported to the police or experienced by the victims. The media tends to focus on the dramatic or alarming aspect of an incident in an attempt to stun the viewer. Crimes that are reported by the media are often crimes that take place the least. In fact 12 per cent of all crimes are in some way related to violence yet these crimes represent 60 per cent to 90 per cent of all crime news stories. (Daly, K. 2004, p. 1) So why are the majority of crime news stories violent crimes? The public is interested in hearing about dramatic, compelling events. These stories rouse the public's attention due to the severity and devastation of incidents. …