Although cases of serious crimes are decreasing in many parts of the world, people feel less safe today than at any other time in the past. The main reason for this is the increased coverage of crime in our media and one key solution is encouraging news outlets to cover more positive stories.
Crime-related news more frequently features in our media than positive stories and the public, therefore, believe there to be a more criminal crime than there actually is. Violation stories are considered to be more dramatic and capable of gaining more readers and viewers than stories of another nature. As a result, the vast majority of the news focuses on serious crimes and this is causing people to feel unsafe. For example, the British Office for National Statistics recently reported that although the number of murder cases had decreased in the UK by 20% in the last 20 years, the media’s coverage of these murders had increased by 700%.
To combat this disproportionate production of crime stories, media outlets should be encouraged to also cover positive stories. By presenting an accurate picture of society that includes good news as well as bad, journalists can reduce the anxiety that causes viewers to feel unsafe. For instance, one news website, the Good News Network, has aimed to accurately show what is happening in society by sharing good news stories from the late 1990s and it has been reported that their visitors are 16% less concerned with the violence rates in the respective countries.
In conclusion, people feel less safe today in spite of reducing crime levels as a result of negative media reports that focuses on crime reporting. To remedy this problem, journalists should be encouraged to share more positive stories to present a realistic picture of society.
Although cases of serious
crimes
are decreasing in
many
parts of the world,
people
feel
less safe
today
than at any other time in the past. The main reason for this is the increased coverage of
crime
in our
media
and one key solution is encouraging
news
outlets to cover more
positive
stories.
Crime-related
news
more
frequently
features in our
media
than
positive
stories
and the public,
therefore
, believe there to be a more criminal
crime
than there actually is. Violation
stories
are considered
to be more dramatic and capable of gaining more readers and viewers than
stories
of another nature.
As a result
, the vast majority of the
news
focuses on serious
crimes
and this is causing
people
to
feel
unsafe.
For example
, the British Office for National Statistics recently reported that although the number of murder cases had decreased in the UK by 20% in the last 20 years, the
media’s
coverage of these murders had increased by 700%.
To combat this disproportionate production of
crime
stories
,
media
outlets should
be encouraged
to
also
cover
positive
stories
. By presenting an accurate picture of society that includes
good
news
as well
as
bad
, journalists can
reduce
the anxiety that causes viewers to
feel
unsafe.
For instance
, one
news
website, the
Good
News
Network, has aimed to
accurately
show
what is happening in society by sharing
good
news
stories
from the late 1990s and it has
been reported
that their visitors are 16% less concerned with the violence rates in the respective countries.
In conclusion
,
people
feel
less safe
today
in spite of
reducing
crime
levels
as a result
of
negative
media
reports that focuses on
crime
reporting. To remedy this problem, journalists should
be encouraged
to share more
positive
stories
to present a realistic picture of society.
7Linking words, meeting the goal of 7 or more
7Repeated words, meeting the goal of 3 or fewer
7Mistakes