Scooped!

Why do Americans know so much about "celebrity criminals" and so little about crime? If crime is down, why is there so much mayhem on television news and in the newspapers? This book seeks to answer these and other questions, to attempt to make sense of crime, crime news and crime policy in the US. Scooped! surveys the impact of tabloid journalism in America and reveals that crime news and reporting say much about a society fascinated by sleaze and violence. David Krajicek raises important questions about how and why certain crimes are reported, and the ways in which these representations are framing debates concerning crime policy and the criminal justice system. He challenges journalists--in the tabloid, television, and otherwise "respectable" news media--to fulfill their mission to inform, and not inflame, the public.