ABSTRACT
Through an examination of Crimewatch UK’s reporting of a sexual assault and murder of a young woman, this analysis discusses how such news programmes mediate messages to women about the need for self-regulation if they are to avoid becoming the victim of violent crimes. Drawing on a combination of both textual and reception research, the investigation illustrates how crime reconstructions help promote the power of a gendered hegemony by reinforcing women’s fears for their safety in public spaces.
