Abstract

RODRIGUES, Pedro. Crime in the press: an analysis of the Correio da Manhã, 2000-2007. Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas [online]. 2010, n.64, pp.149-172. ISSN 0873-6529.

Earlier studies suggest that the idea of an “accelerated rising tendency in crime” and the consequent feelings of insecurity do not reflect the objective levels of risk present in Portuguese society (Machado, 2004) and that mass media organizations play a role in the amplification of representations of a more violent society (Ferreira, 1998). In the light of these findings, this investigation sought to analyze the frequency with which different types of crime are reported in the Correio da Manhã, a Portuguese daily newspaper. The period from January 2000 to December 2007 was considered for a comparison with the official crime data registered by police authorities. In this comparison, a distortion was found in the number of crimes reported, where the newspaper preferred to report on violent criminal occurrences, independently of their real frequency.

Keywords : crime; press; Correio da Manhã; daily newspaper.

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