Reporting: CRIME NEWS

CRIME NEWS

Introduction: Crime means any violation of law. Ethically it is any wrong doing. Reporters contact the police constantly and write about offence committed All over the world “covering” police news is regarded good training for the budding reporters. (Christian Science Monitor has consistently   banned the publication of crime news)

FOUR Types of Crimes (1) Against a person (assault, homicide, kidnapping, rape)

(2) Against property (arson, theft, robbery, forgery, burglary, embezzlement)

(3) Against public welfare (bigamy, riot, illegal strikes, sexual crimes)

(4) Against legal authority (obstructing a government officer from performing his duties, bribing a government servant)

Ethical or Unethical: Whether it is ethical or unethical for news paper to publish crime stories is the question asked and debated.

Argument against Publishing Crime News

1. News paper gives criminals undue publicity and unwittingly makes them heroes.

2. By publishing details of how crimes are committed, news paper furnishes valuable ideas to criminals.

 3. News paper thwart police attempts at investigation by premature publication.

4. Crime stories project the seamy (disreputable) side of life.

5. Publishing sordid details of crime violates basic decencies and good taste.

6.  Publication of picture or cartoons of scantily clad girls or boys in connection with crime stories offend public morals.

Argument in Favour of Publishing Crime News

1. News paper should reflect the environment and its activities.

2. Suppression of news is dishonest.

3. Publication of police news may help to keep police men more alert and informed

4. Crime news make people turn up with vital clues to the police.

5. Publication of crime stories helps to keep people guide against crimes.

6. It is extremely doubtful that criminals get ideas for their crime from news paper.

7. Standard news papers do not publish sordid details of sexual crimes. They do not mention the name of the poison used for suicide or the instrument used for the break-in.

8. It is wrong to say that news paper glorify criminals. In fact many reporters glorify the action of the police officer in apprehending the culprit.

9. News paper generally do not publish crime news prematurely and thwart (to obstruct) police investigations and action.

10. Generally reporters of standard   news paper maintain good taste or use euphemisms in writing crime stories.

11. Popular news papers feel with justice, that that crime news boosts the circulation.

Qualifications 1. A reporter must have a full knowledge of the police system from top to bottom. He must understand how the department operates and what type of news he can expect from the various sections.

2. A reporter must have a knowledge as to what legally constitutes crime.

3. A reporter must have familiarity with the topography of the place. If a fire accident occurs in a particular area, he must rush straight there. If he is unfamiliar with place, he may go in the opposite direction and miss the news.

4 A reporter must be capable of presenting news objectively, without offending the law.

Conclusion: To move effectively and constructively against crime, the police and press should cooperate and coordinate. While the police help the newsmen with information about various crimes the press can help the police by turning out clues and also by enlightening them on the developing political trends.