Media Portrayals of Crime

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering media representations of crime, fictional tropes, official statistics, and evaluation methods.

Media misrepresentation

When media give a misleading picture of crime.

“Law of opposites”

The concept that fictional crime portrayals can oppose official crime patterns.

Prime-time TV crime show share

Around $25\%$, according to the lesson slide.

Crime movie share

Around $20\%$ of films, according to the lesson slide.

Property crime in fiction

The crime type that is under-represented in fiction.

Violence, drugs, and sexual offences in fiction

Crime types that are over-represented in fiction.

Fictional offenders

Offenders portrayed often as psychopathic strangers or clever, dangerous villains.

Fictional police

Police officers depicted as usually catching the “bad guy” and solving the case.

Police fallacy

The media tendency to make police seem more efficient than they really are.

Social construction of news

The process whereby journalists and editors select some stories and reject others.

Official statistics (OS)

Crime data recorded by the police.

CSEW

A survey of people aged $16+$ about their experiences of selected crimes.

Limitation of official statistics

They do not include every crime because some offences are not reported or recorded.

Recorded homicide victims (England and Wales, YE March 2025)

$522$ victims, according to the ONS.

Suspects of adult female homicides (YE March 2025)

Most commonly a partner/ex-partner ($40\%$) or family member ($16\%$).

Common suspects of adult male homicides (YE March 2025)

Most commonly a friend/acquaintance ($20\%$) or stranger ($18\%$).

Homicide motives (ONS data)

Varying motives that include quarrels, revenge, or loss of temper.

Inaccuracy in fictional crime portrayals

The tendency to prioritise dramatic stories, while everyday crime may be less dramatic.

Viral crime post

A single example of a crime that cannot show how frequent a crime is.

Song about crime

A media representation of crime rather than evidence of typical crime patterns.

Evaluating a media portrayal

Comparing it with evidence, explaining what it suggests, and noting a limitation.