Abstract
The objective of this study is to advance the literature on exemplification theory and how media coverage can impact public perceptions of crime. This 3-condition, between-subjects experimental design tests whether specific child abduction news stories influenced parental concerns, in particular their estimation of the likelihood of the crime as a threat in their own communities and for their own families. This study finds that there are no significant direct effects of being exposed to news stories about child abduction on the perception that the problem will get worse; however, this effect is mediated by the perception of child abduction as a threat in one’s own community. The level of proximity may explain why parents exposed to the extreme news exemplar perceive child abductions to be a problem in their own community, but not necessarily perceive the crime as a personal threat likely to happen to one’s own child or family. Theoretical and practical implications about news coverage and its impact on public perceptions of crime are discussed.
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This manuscript is the product of a graduate-level experimental design course taught by Dr. Robert M. McKeever, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina.
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Weatherred’s research examines health communication, specifically, news portrayals of child abuse and its impact on public policy. She has published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and received grant funding to develop two psychometric measurements regarding child sexual abuse.
Moscowitz’s research examines the cultural production of news and the politics of media representation. She is the author of three books, “The Battle over Marriage: Gay Rights Activism through the Media” (University of Illinois Press, 2013); “Snatched: Coverage of Child Abductions in U.S. News Media” (Peter Lang Publishing, 2015) and Media and the Coming Out of Gay Male Athletes in American Team Sports (Peter Lang Publishing, 2018).
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Weatherred, J.L., Moscowitz, L. Exemplification of child abduction in US news media: Testing media effects on parental perceptions and assessment of risk. J Exp Criminol 20, 297–316 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-022-09535-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-022-09535-9