A Study of Crime Reporting by Two Malaysian English Newspapers

Abstract

Crime reporting covers criminal behavior, its causes, patterns, and effects upon society. The general aim of this study is to assess the level of crime coverage by Malaysian English newspapers in an effort to examine crime news in Malaysia. Getting accurate fact about crimes, their differences as well as the frequency of crime reporting in national dailies is useful for understanding crime in society. It will also take into account the public’s responses about the occurrences of crime. It necessitates that the content of the newspaper reports concerning criminal acts or crime related issues be analyzed. A simple content analysis was undertaken to examine media reports of crime in The Star and News Straits Times (NST), two language English dailies in Malaysia. The data indicates that both newspapers report crimes committed by Malaysians more than foreigners.