This commentary is by Jacob Bedford of Sharon. He is a 41-year-old husband and father, finishing his last year at Vermont Law School.
Here in Vermont, neighbors know each other’s names and communities are close-knit. Combined, sometimes it’s easy to imagine a world where crime feels like an ever-present threat.
But here’s the rub: The reality often doesn’t match the perception. Local media outlets, in their attempts to keep viewers, readers and listeners engaged, have developed a tendency to sensationalize even the smallest incidents, amplifying fears of crime in a way that distorts the actual safety of our communities.
While it is certainly important to report on crime, we must ask ourselves: Are we doing so in a way that reflects the true situation?
It’s true that when crime is a problem, it’s a crucial duty of the media to inform the public. However, the focus on minor criminal acts can create a perception that crime is spiraling out of control when it isn’t. When this happens, the media’s portrayal of crime distorts the reality, creating anxiety and fear in the population. Often, diminishing the hard work of our state’s attorneys and public defenders.
Most commonly, this distortion occurs through sensationalized news reporting on low-level criminal acts. Local newspapers, news stations, and websites often report all relatively minor offenses. Reporting every crime makes people think a “crime wave is sweeping (insert your fair burgh here)”. This kind of reporting, seemingly attention-grabbing, leads to misconceptions that the crime rate is much higher than it is.
This isn’t to say that these crimes should go unreported. Far from it. But context is key. A rash of shoplifting incidents is certainly newsworthy, but without placing these acts in the broader context of our legal system and crime trends, the whole story is never told. Absent any other context, many local residents may think their neighborhoods are rife with criminal activity, even though their actual chances of being affected by crime are incredibly low.
Take, for example, local news reporting a story about a person with “multiple police contacts.” Police “contacts” include any time that person was a victim, witness or called the police for assistance. It’s not unusual for small-town news outlets to report every law enforcement interaction.
These stories, particularly when they highlight an increase in “police activity”, can make the entire community feel unsafe — even if the actual number of real crimes is small. In many cases, these interactions involve individuals in a mental health crisis or someone living with a substance abuse disorder.
The result is a psychological impact on the public. When the media places an exaggerated emphasis on smaller crimes, it can contribute to a widespread fear of crime. From DUIs and a car theft on the evening news, to researched publications about theft, every crime gets a spotlight. Are these crimes? Yes. Newsworthy? Probably not. This “perception of crime” is dramatically shaping public opinion, and it’s something the media needs to consider more carefully.
An overblown fear of crime doesn’t just affect how people feel about their safety — it can have tangible consequences for the community. As public concern grows, residents may become more reclusive, avoid local businesses, or even make financial decisions based on the assumption that their town is less safe than it is. Many businesses are already suffering.
Additionally, the tendency to sensationalize small crimes can detract from more significant issues in the community. In Vermont, local news outlets often don’t have the resources to provide in-depth reporting on long-term social problems, such as mental health challenges, addiction and poverty, that might be contributing to criminal behavior. Focusing on individual criminal acts without addressing the root causes can prevent productive conversations about how to improve our communities and reduce crime in a meaningful way.
So, what can be done to improve local crime reporting? First, local media outlets should strive for balance in their coverage. Minor incidents do not need airtime on the news. Journalists could focus on more major crimes, which luckily are few and far between in our sleepy state. Journalists should introduce questions to the dialogue like, are there social or economic factors contributing to a rise in crime? Is there a deeper, systemic issue at play that requires attention? How can I support a change?
Finally, local media outlets should diversify their coverage of crime. Instead of focusing on individual incidents, they should investigate broader issues of local law enforcement, the work of state’s attorneys and public defenders, judicial decisions and programs aimed at crime prevention. This would not only inform the public about the state of crime but also empower them with the knowledge needed to contribute to solutions.
In Vermont, where our sense of community is so strong, it’s vital that the media does its part to keep that trust intact. By reporting crime responsibly, local media can help build safer, more informed communities, where people feel empowered by facts rather than driven by fear. After all, the true measure of a community’s safety isn’t how many small crimes are committed, but how well we work together to address the bigger issues at hand. All within the systems that we have in place.
