"Crime waves" are one of the oldest and most engrossing community news stories around; one of the easiest to write poorly, and one of the hardest to write well.
�
That's because a "crime" story is different from a "crime wave" story. The first is anecdotal: X happened to Y on date Z. Anecdotes are easy to collect and write. Any reporter can do that and get it in by deadline. Crime waves, on the other hand, are intrinsically mathematical events. Before writing a line, or even talking to anyone, the writer must ask fundamental methodological questions: what is the territorial boundary of the zone you are looking for a "wave" in? What is the time period? Are your parameters too small or too large to�generate�meaningful answers? Are you able to compare crime in that zone to crime in other zones? Which zones are comparable to yours, for what purposes? Who keeps statistics? How good are they? Are the available stats tailored to address your questions, or do you have to fiddle with your questions until they address the data you have?
�
Tough judgements all. It can be an interesting story to construct, if you have a taste for statistical puzzles. But most journalists don't have this taste, and it takes time that reporters usually aren't getting paid for. So they fall back instead on anecdotal method, coupled with pro-forma two-points-of-view balance. They interview a crime victim for the lede, choosing the most disturbing case at hand. Then they ask an expert, usually a police spokesperson, and ask him whether there's a crime wave or not (relying on him to do the math for them). Regardless of what he says, Yes there is or No there isn't, they find somebody with a vested interest in disputing his claim and get a quote disputing it. Then they file. Next assignment!
Tony, you sound like a Journalism Professor, far too analytical for today's Media.
It's not so much that the "journalists" don't have the taste, but rather that there are so few "journalists" (but lots of "reporters") ... and I won't even talk about editors who have papers to sell.
Remember the Maine - Spanish American War:
"There is no war," Remington wrote to his boss.
"Request to be recalled." Remington's boss, William Randolph Hearst, sent a cable in reply:
"Please remain. You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war."T.T.F.N. William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
