Research by Journalism Professor Maggie Patterson and a colleague that looks at crime reporting by the media in various countries has garnered a $93,549 grant from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Maggie Patterson
Through their study, Democracy Defined or Detonated, Patterson and Romayne Smith Fullerton, associate professor information and media studies at Western University of Ontario, are reviewing crime reporting in 10 countries. In addition to examining the news coverage itself, they’re analyzing press law and ethics codes in each country and interviewing crime reporters, editors and media experts.
To date, Patterson and Fullerton have completed 150 interviews and will travel to Germany, England and Denmark to conduct more. The grant will help fund the research, travel and graduate student work. The two plan to publish a book on their research.
“We had so many fascinating interviews, and the one thing I’m learning is that we have more freedom in this country than even in Canada or England—countries we typically think of as being pretty similar to ours,” Patterson said.
Their study reveals significant differences in journalistic ethics and habits. For example, some journalists try to protect the identity of criminals so as not to negatively impact their ability to rehabilitate or to shield their families.
But the co-authors also met journalists in other countries who consider it their ethical duty to report all they can find to keep the public properly informed.
“I think the freedom we enjoy here is almost entirely tied back to the First Amendment because any time there is a conflict, the decision almost always comes to down to the rights of a free press,” Patterson said. “Other countries have so many restrictions, and judges don’t have the power to control the press in this country.”
Patterson and Fullerton began their work in Belgium in 2010, and they have presented several papers, published three book chapters and two journal articles on their work. A third article is set to be published soon in Journalism Practice.