Homicide coverage on network news increased a striking 473 percent from 1990 to 1998 while homicides dropped 33 percent, the report found, stressing that minorities, especially blacks, are disproportionately portrayed as perpetrators of crime. It reflects statistically what many of us have been concerned about. The study found that public perceptions of crime are inaccurate. The misperceptions extend to school violence. Sixteen students died last year as a result of school violence, compared with about 100 people who die every year from lightning strikes.
News is the unusual.
The study found that many whites harbor misperceptions about potential attackers. Twice as many white Americans believe they are more likely to be victimized by a minority than by a white person, but whites actually are three times more likely to be victimized by whites than by minorities. The report also highlighted disproportionate media coverage of white crime victims, finding that white homicide victims prompted more stories and longer articles than black homicide victims. In a series of reports issued during the past year, Building Blocks for Youths has documented disparities in the way the justice system treats minorities. One study reported that minority youth are treated more severely than white youth at each stage of the justice system, even when charged with the same offenses.