News coverage of crime and criminal justice policies has played an integral role in the buildup of mass incarceration and its racial disparities. Many newsrooms and journalists are now striving to more accurately and critically cover these issues. The Sentencing Project’s new media guide, 10 Crime Coverage Dos and Don’ts, can help media outlets develop coverage that will better inform the public and policymakers on how to pursue the most effective and humane public safety policies. U.S. crime rates increased dramatically beginning in the 1960s, but between 1991 and 2019 crime rates fell by about half. But during this crime drop, polls showed that most Americans continued to believe that there was more crime in the country than there was a year ago. As certain crimes began climbing in 2020, it has become especially important for the media to ensure that its crime coverage is accurate and complete. Included among the media guide’s recommendations: - Conduct a racial equity audit on the quantity and quality of crime coverage;
- Accurately present crime survivors as having a complexity of views;
- Avoid creating backlash bait with partial coverage of recidivism;
- Use non-stigmatizing, person-first language;
- Recognize that growing prison terms for violent crimes are a key driver of mass incarceration.
The Sentencing Project is committed to utilizing fair and accurate research and information to achieve a more fair and just criminal legal system. |
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