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"Sensationalist newspaper coverage of crime has been a matter of keen public interest. But what role has sensationalist reporting played in creating public understanding of the criminal justice system in England and Wales? This book provides an answer, presenting an engaging account of crime reportage from the late eighteenth century to the present day; from the era of specialist reporters to the days of modern investigative journalism. Written in a lively and accessible style and locating familiar crimestories from Constance Kent to Sara Payne in their contemporary presentations to newspaper readers, the chapters explore crime news in broadsheet, quality and tabloid publications and explain its importance to how the criminal justice system has been understood. The book identifies why particular crime stories came to public prominence and how these were constructed and presented for popular consumption, offering new ways of thinking about reportage and the criminal justice system. "--
List of contents
Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: A History of Crime News 1. The Beginnings of Crime Intelligence 1800-1860 2. A 'Golden Era'? 1860-1885 3. Challenging the Golden Goose? 1885-1900 4. New Journalism Triumphant: 1900-1914 5. New Perspectives and New Informants: 1914 to 1939 6. Enhancing Sensationalism: 1939-1960 7. Positively Criminal? Press, Police and Politicians: 1960s-2010 8. Online and Offline: Post Script 2011-2012 Bibliography
Report
'Those of us interested in how contemporary media construct criminal or deviant behaviour remain aware that this process has a long history. We are grateful for scholarly works which exhume history's implications for current preoccupations. Crime News in Modern Britain is one such work. For a decade the authors have analysed exhaustively local and national newspapers from the past. From that base they have compiled evidence about initial developments and subsequent changes in the authorship, sources and format of crime reporting. It is the first fully historical account of the nature of crime reporting over nearly two centuries.'
- Chas Critcher, Swansea University, UK
