ABSTRACT
While the public's reaction to crime is impacted by various sources, it seems that the media have the greatest effect on the perception of crime and criminality. Davis (1952), in one of the first and most important studies examining crime and crime news coverage, presented evidence that there is no relationship between official crime statistics and crime as reported in the print media. In fact, this study indicated that the public perception of crime depends almost entirely on what is read in the newspapers. However, this study was conducted before the proliferation of television.
