investigation24 channel7hd

INTRODUCTION 
Everyday people consume the news from a variety of sources including television, radio, newspaper, and the Internet but few are aware of potential biases in the construction and reporting of news stories. All news, no matter the source, has a constructed newsworthy quality. There are important reasons why one story is selected for coverage when another is not. “Events that appear to disrupt expectations [or are] deviant occurrences are the stuff of news”(Reiner, Livingstone and Allen 2003:13). These “disrupted expectations” and “deviant occurrences” are particularly characteristic of crime news stories. Critical attention to how crime is reported in the news is necessary given the way in which the media represent these events heavily influences our understanding of crime in society. “Media images help shape our view of the world and our deepest values; what we consider good or bad, positive or negative, moral or evil” (Kellner 1995:24). The extent of influence depends.