We have seen how reporting on crime has distorted public perceptions in ways that shape elections and policy. Whether they are doing it with a political agenda or not, journalists and their editors are wielding a heavy hand when explaining the world to their readers. Even though crime is decreasing in SF, based on how it was reported, residents are convinced it’s soaring, and based in part on that they recalled DA Chesa Boudin (by a margin of ~10 points) last week. By contrast, in NYC, where Mayor Adams has presided over an enormous crime spike, no media is talking about it, so the public is not bothered and there is
The power of media to define what's salient
The power of media to define what's salient
The power of media to define what's salient
We have seen how reporting on crime has distorted public perceptions in ways that shape elections and policy. Whether they are doing it with a political agenda or not, journalists and their editors are wielding a heavy hand when explaining the world to their readers. Even though crime is decreasing in SF, based on how it was reported, residents are convinced it’s soaring, and based in part on that they recalled DA Chesa Boudin (by a margin of ~10 points) last week. By contrast, in NYC, where Mayor Adams has presided over an enormous crime spike, no media is talking about it, so the public is not bothered and there is