NCJ Number
139387
Journal
Media Studies Journal Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1992), 131-138
Date Published
1992
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Like any other serious crime, rapes are considered newsworthy only when they exhibit some unusual or bizarre features. As a result, readers and viewers of the mass media learn about the atypical and unrepresentative, particularly as the media seem to report crimes in the reverse order of their frequency.
Abstract
Surveys show that most people believe that 25 percent of rape victims are murdered and most others must be hospitalized for serious injuries, when in fact those percentages are approximately 3 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Journalists usually do not report on attempted rapes; victimization surveys indicate that up to 75 percent of intended rape victims escape. The media's failure to report on attempted rapes denies female readers the opportunity to learn about successful rape prevention strategies. Many facts concerning the precipitating factors of the attack, the woman's reaction, the frequency of attacks in various areas, the apprehension of the rapist, and the longer term consequences to both victim and attacker are often omitted from news stories. As a result, over 65 percent of the American female population is afraid to go out alone at night. The author concludes that, by focusing on bizarre stories, the media is failing to pay adequate attention to the daily issues that affect women.