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Based on a sampling of news coverage, codes of ethics and style guides, and almost 200 personal interviews in 10 North American and Western European countries,
Murder in Our Midst reveals that journalists' crime coverage practices differ greatly. It shows how each nation's story telling reflects not only shapes policies toward crime and criminals, but also culturally constructed concepts like privacy, public, public right to know, and justice.
List of contents
- Chapter One: Introduction
- Part 1: The Protectors: Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany
- Preface to The Protectors Section
- Chapter Two: What the Protectors Protect
- Chapter Three: Threats to and Benefits of the Protective Policies
- Chapter Four: Protectors' Accountability
- Part 2: The Watchdogs: England, Ireland, Canada, and the United States
- Preface to The Watchdogs Section
- Chapter Five: What the Watchdogs Watch, Why, and Why Watching Matters
- Chapter Six: Risks and Challenges for The Watchdogs: Competition, Demonization, and Productive Examination
- Chapter Seven: Accountability: Resistance and Reconciliation
- Part 3: The Ambivalents: Portugal, Spain, and Italy
- Preface to Ambivalents Section
- Chapter Eight: Ambivalent Behavior in Portugal, Spain, And Italy: The Commitment to Maybe
- Chapter Nine: Threats, Harms, And Benefits: At a Crossroads or in a Crossfire?
- Chapter Ten: Is There a Way Forward for Ambivalent Journalists? Yes, No, and Maybe
- Chapter Eleven: Conclusion
- Appendix: List of Interview Subjects
- Bibliography
- Notes
About the author
Romayne Smith Fullerton is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies, at the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario, Canada. Along with a former student, she has authored a book about Canadian crime coverage, and over her many years in the field, she has written numerous book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, and opinion pieces and commentary about journalism ethics in Canada.
Maggie Jones Patterson is professor of journalism at Duquesne University and former reporter for the Pittsburgh Press. She is the co-author of three previous books (Art Rooney: A Sporting Life, Behind the Lines: Case Studies in Investigative Reporting, and Birth or Abortion? Private Struggles in a Political World) as well as numerous book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers. She chairs the Duquesne University Student Publications Board, is Acting President of the Pittsburgh Society of Professional Journalists chapter, and sits on the Board of PublicSource, an online nonprofit news service for the Pittsburgh area.
