In the News: This clip was broadcast and could create fear in young women and parents of young 
women who may want to go running in broad daylight. The initial comments that they believed it was a 
stranger-rape makes it frightening, even if that is not the most common victimization. https://6abc.com/
news/new-video-shows-ny-woman-on-run-hours-before-murder-/1509645/ 
The media plays an important role in the perception of crime and the American public’s understanding of 
how the criminal justice system operates and policies Americans are willing to support for reform. Public 
opinion gets connected with pressure to change crime policies. 
14, especially when there is a high fear of 
a certain crime 
15 The media can provide the public with an estimation of how much crime there is, the 
types of crime that are common, trends in crime rates, and the daily operations of the criminal justice system. 
However, the media often does not portray an accurate portrayal of crime and criminal justice. 
16 
In the News: Follow Up to Case Above https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mistrial-karina-
vetrano-killing_us_5bf5909ce4b0eb6d930ad6f9 
“Fear is produced more readily in the modern community than it was earlier in our history because of increased 
publicity” Edwin Sutherland. 
17 
Research by the Pew Research Center found that most Americans get their news from social media, despite 
having concerns about the accuracy and reliability of those sources. Almost 66 percent of Americans get 
news on social media. The majority (57%) say they expect the news they see on social media to be mostly 
inaccurate. 
18 It appears that convenience outweighs concerns with accuracy. 
14. Toch, H., & Maguire, K. (2014). Public opinion regarding crime, criminal justice, and related topics: A retrospect. Journal of Research in 
Crime & Delinquency, 51, 424-444. 
15. Dowler, K. (2003). Media consumption and public attitudes toward crime and justice: The relationship between fear of crime, punitive 
attitudes, and percieved police effectiveness. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 10, 109-126. 
16. Kappeler, V. & Potter, G. (2018). The mythology of crime and criminal justice, (5th ed.). Long Grove: Waveland Press, Inc. 
17. Sutherland, E. (1950). The Diffusion of Sexual Psychopath Laws. American Journal of Sociology, 56, 142-148. 
18. Matsa, K., & Shearer, E. (2018). News use across social media platforms. The Pew Research Center. http://www.journalism.org/2018/09/
10/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2018/ 
Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System
45