NCJ Number
169863
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1997) Pages: 687-718
Date Published
1997
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This article examines how reporters and sources construct social problems in the news media.
Abstract
The article examines the sources cited in routine crime stories, in stories linked to a highly visible policy issue such as the drug problem, and in stories covering celebrated cases relevant to policy issues. The article documents the news sources cited in these three types of stories to determine whether the relationship between the reporters and sources evolves as a story increases in importance. By examining the sources used by news organizations to define what is important about a topic of substantial interest, and then comparing the results with those for other crime stories, the analysis illustrates how official sources use their access to the news production process to frame social problems and to increase the likelihood that public opinion will coincide with their own beliefs. Future research should examine how sources use specific types of stories to promote issue frames, how the relationship between reporter and source evolves by type of story, and whether this relationship varies by type of organization. The article discusses implications of this research and analysis for understanding crime and the role of the media as an institution of social control. Notes, tables, references