How Coverage Of Death Sentences Vary: A Study Of Two Ohio Newspapers

Research on media coverage of crime and justice issues tends to examine the effects of this coverage on public opinion, fear of crime, and other attitudes. Coverage of the death penalty, particularly executions, is a popular topic among researchers, who wish to examine whether deterrence is achieved when media outlets cover executions in the news. The current study examines an underlying, and perhaps overlooked, aspect of this previous research -- how consistent is media coverage of these issues? By examining coverage of death sentences, not executions, in two Ohio newspapers, the current study illustrates that coverage of certain crimes -- crimes that result in a death sentence -- is not similar both between the newspapers and within each newspaper itself. It is argued that conclusions about public attitudes toward crime and justice issues must be tempered by the fact that media coverage of crime, even specific types of crime, is not created equal.