Local crime reporting and crime concerns

For the past three decades, Americans have largely claimed that crime in the United States is rising, even though official statistics show a dramatic increase. reduce of crime during this period.

In 23 of 27 Gallup polls since 1993, at least 60% of Americans said there was more crime in the United States than the year before. But that perception contradicts the data: Since 1993, the country's violent crime rate has fallen by nearly half, according to the FBI, while the property crime rate has fallen even more. Put another way, Americans were about twice as likely to be a victim of a violent crime in 1993 as they are in 2022.

There are many possible reasons why Americans believe crime is increasing in the U.S., even when government statistics show otherwise. But a new survey from the Pew Research Center examines one possible factor shaping public perceptions: local crime reporting. The survey comes from the Pew-Knight Initiative, a research program jointly funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Here are some of the key findings from the survey:

The issue of crime receives a lot of attention in the local news. An old cliché in journalism – “If it bleeds, it’s a headline” – refers to the prominent placement of (often sensationalist) news about crime. The center’s survey does not confirm the cliché, but shows that crime Is among the most frequently consumed local news topics.

In fact, the survey found that Americans get more information about crime than any other local topic except the weather. About three-quarters of adults (77%) say they often or sometimes get local news and information about crime. That's more than respondents who say the same about traffic (68%), government and politics (68%), arts and culture (59%), business (59%), schools (56%) and sports (54%).

Americans, who prefer to watch local news on television, especially regularly see reports about crime. Nearly half of these Americans (46%) say they often Get local crime news from any source you want. No more than a third of Americans who prefer other platforms for local news — like print media or social media sites — say the same.

In the United States, violent crime is much less common than property crime, but Americans hear about both types of crime in local news reports at almost equal rates. About a third of Americans (32%) say they watch news about violent crime daily or weekly, and a similar proportion (37%) say they watch news about property crime with the same frequency.

In 2022, the violent crime rate was about one-fifth the property crime rate, according to the FBI. Violent crime includes offenses such as assault, robbery, rape, and murder, while property crime includes theft, auto theft, and burglary.

There is a clear connection between the amount of local crime news Americans consume and their concern about their safety. Among Americans who receive local crime news often33% are extremely or very concerned that local crime affects them or their family. This number drops to 19% among those who receive local crime news Sometimes and 10% of those who get it rarely or never.

Of course, these results cannot tell us which way this relationship goes: consuming more crime news may make Americans more concerned about crime, but Americans who are more concerned about crime may also be more likely to consume crime news.

Americans are not particularly satisfied with the quality of reporting on local crime. Only a third of U.S. adults who read local crime news report being extremely or very satisfied with its quality – and satisfaction with news on a variety of other local topics is similar. The largest share (48%) is somewhat satisfied, while 18% is not or not at all satisfied.

In particular, Americans have a hard time getting information that provides context about crime in their area. For example, about three-quarters of U.S. adults (77%) are at least somewhat interested in learning about broader local crime patterns, but only 23% of those Americans say it is at least somewhat easy to stay informed about this topic. The numbers are similar when it comes to what local authorities are doing to combat crime and the underlying causes of local crime.

Local media is not the only source of news for Americans about crime in their area. In fact, Americans are just as likely to get information about local crime from their friends, family, and neighbors (71% do so often or sometimes) as they are from local news outlets (70% do so often or sometimes). As for other sources, about half (53%) get their crime news often or sometimes from social media, while a smaller share gets this type of information from local law enforcement (41%), locally focused apps like Nextdoor or Ring (36%), or local politicians (23%).

In other words, public perceptions of crime can be shaped by a wide range of information sources – not just local news outlets.

Note: The questions used for this survey and the answers are listed in the title. For more details, see the methodology.