ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the relationship between the news media’s representation of crime and justice and the public perceptions of and reaction to these issues. It is well established that public knowledge of crime and justice is largely derived from the media and that the media play a key role in the public’s perception of criminals, victims and those who work within the criminal justice system. In introducing their book, Understanding Public Attitudes to Criminal Justice, Roberts and Hough start with the statement that ‘Public opinion has always played a significant role in the administration of criminal justice, and information about public attitudes is clearly important to politicians and criminal justice professionals’. Even within the category of fraud and white-collar crime, different media reporting is liable to influence public opinion about such crimes. The public overwhelmingly supports tougher sentences for convicted criminals, a major poll has revealed.
