If you are like most people, your investments in home security are in some way influenced by your perceptions of crime. But are those perceptions shaped by the local TV news? Perhaps. Pew research conducted last year seems to suggest that individual perceptions of crime do not match reality. More importantly, how people view crime may very well be influenced by what they see on TV.
This matters to me for the simple fact that people who perceive more crime are more likely to take steps to protect themselves. For example, I might be satisfied with a single wireless video camera if I perceive crime in my neighborhood as being low. But if I think it’s unusually high, I might be prompted to contact Vivint Home Security to order a professionally installed security system.
More About the Research
Last year, a couple of Pew researchers decided to take a look at a potential link between local TV news and what people thought about crime. They noted that in 23 of the last 27 Gallup crime surveys conducted since 1993, the majority of Americans have said there was more crime in the current year compared to the previous year. Yet actual data tells a different story.
Violent crime has fallen by nearly half since 1993. We have seen an even greater reduction in property crimes. So even though consumers perceive more crime in their neighborhoods, that may not be the case in reality. Of course, national and local crime statistics can vary significantly.
The TV News Angle
To figure out what might be influencing perceptions about crime, Pew surveyed consumers during the third week of January 2024. They discovered, among other things, that the only topic people counted on local TV news for more often than crime was weather. In other words:
- 90% said they sometimes or often get local weather information from TV news.
- 77% said they sometimes or often get crime information from local TV.
Traffic came in at 68%, as did government and politics, while sports came in at 54%. The numbers should not be surprising given the nature of local news. TV stations are likely to present crime stories at the top of the broadcast because they draw in viewers. It is also more common for TV stations to run the weather 10-15 minutes into a broadcast. So viewers turning in just to get the weather are likely to see crime stories first.
Researchers also discovered that violent crimes and property crimes receive about the same amount of coverage on local news despite property crimes occurring less frequently. This can lead to the perception that things like burglary and car break-ins are just as common as murder and robbery. That would certainly skew a person’s perception of local crime.
Nothing Changes in Terms of Prevention
Despite the various factors that shape a person’s perception of crime, the one thing that doesn’t change is the prevention angle. People who feel less safe are more likely to take steps to improve the situation. Others who feel comfortable enough with their current level of safety are less likely to make any changes.
How do you perceive crime in your local area? I’m willing to bet that residents of big cities would assume crime is worse where they live. People in small towns and rural areas are probably less concerned about it. I am also willing to bet that individual safety measures are closely tied to those perceptions.
One thing is for sure: local TV news doesn’t paint the whole picture. If nothing else, last year’s Pew research cleared that up.
