At A Crossroads or Caught in the Crossfire? Crime Coverage in Portugal, Spain, and Italy

Authors

M J. Patterson
Romayne Smith Fullerton, The University of Western Ontario
J Tunon

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Journal

Journalism Practice

Abstract

This study of crime reporting shows that keeping crime records secret hurts democratic consolidation. While many reporters and journalism experts interviewed claimed to value the presumption of innocence, at the same time, many skirted legal restrictions and ethical codes. Police and prosecutors supplied leaks, and reporters sought further information from witnesses. This porous secrecy leads to publication of rumors and unreliable eye-witness accounts. Four exacerbating factors affect this reporting method: widespread “clientelism,” a partisan news media, an alternative definition of “public interest,” and weak professionalism.