Crime and Media coverage

Ever since my arrival in the UK in November 2005 I have wondered where there has been such an intensive and frequent media coverage of crime. Especially capital crime. This is true for newspapers, TV and radio. It also - unfortunately true for both tabloids and quality papers like The Times, The Daily Mirror, and The Guardian. I am under the impression that The Independent does have fewer crime related stories or at least does not push it that much than the others. Anyway, looking at the headlines and watching TV news reminded me of Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine.

If you compare headlines and stories in general in German papers as Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Die Welt you will soon find out that there are far less stories about crime. If your German is good enough of course.

This is because there is simply more capital crime in the UK and it does therefore affect people more. Really?

647 people were convicted of murder and manslaughter in Germany in 2004. This included attempted murder and manslaughter. For the England and Wales this figure is 670. Considering the inhabitants in the two areas and to make it more complicated, this is about 0.01% of the German population and about 0.008% of the population in England and Wales.

So there is more crime here than there is in Germany. Quod erat demonstrantum. But, given the very small total numbers does that really justify this intensive coverage? I sincerely believe it doesn't. I think it makes people feel unsafe.

Another reason for the dominant place of crime stories in UK media might be the rising number of crimes committed. So has the crime rate risen of the last years? No, says the British Crime Survey.

According to the BCS:

• In 2005/06 the total number of crimes in England and Wales was around 10,912,000.
• Total crime peaked in 1995, and has since fallen by 44%.