Bias and Crime in Media Evaluation

For this assignment, you will find at least ten news stories relating to crime from print, broadcast and online sources.

Now that you have gathered your research, write an essay that addresses the following points:

• What patterns did you notice in your analysis? (Were some groups identified more than others? Were some more likely to be identified as criminals than as victims, or vice versa? Were some groups quoted more often than others? Were some kinds of crimes associated more strongly with some groups than others?)
• What effect do you think these patterns might have on the public perception of crime and on certain groups? Why?
• What guidelines do you think journalists should follow when it comes to identifying diverse identities in a news story? Why?