Document Type

Article

Article Version

Publisher's PDF

Publication Date

2004

Abstract

This article discusses a research on news media coverage of juvenile crime. It seeks to answer two questions: what sources do present-day reporters rely on in writing juvenile justice stories; and, are reporters more likely to balance police and defendants comments. The study focused on stories published in Connecticut's three largest newspapers--the Hartford Courant, the New Haven Register, and the Connecticut Post--between January 1, 2002, and March 31, 2002. The study's design was based on a census of all newspaper stories, not a random sample, in the three-month period. The methodology yielded 180 news stories, those generated by both the staff and six Associated Press stories. Results suggest that, at least in the newspapers studied here, not much has changed since Doris Graber first documented the shortcomings of crime reporting more than two decades ago in her book, Crime News and the Public. The economic efficiency that allows reporters to chum out stories with little effort from the police blotter has not changed. Coverage of juvenile crime issues followed the same pattern.

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Copyright 2004 Newspaper Research Journal

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Publication Title

Newspaper Research Journal

Published Citation

Simon, James & Hayes, Sean (2004). "Juvenile crime stories use police blotter without comment from suspects." Newspaper Research Journal, 25(4), 89-94.

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