(1) The document examines the portrayal of crime in local media in Amazonas, Brazil compared to actual crime statistics. (2) Actual crime rates show most victims of non-lethal crimes are black, younger, and of lower socioeconomic status, while TV shows underrepresent these groups. (3) TV shows emphasize violent and random crimes more than statistics show, overrepresenting drug crimes and underrepresenting crimes like theft and assault. (4) The document concludes local media in Amazonas misrepresents the actual victims and nature of crime, potentially worsening public fear and distrust in institutions.

1. Rachel R Mourao, M.A., Latin American Studies

2. Introduction

3. It’s “just” TV
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF CRIME
“How we define the cultural production of crime as a „social problem‟ and how
we regard victims, offenders, and agents of crime control, emerges out of
the social interactions between ordinary people, journalists, and sources of
information within the structural and political-economic contexts of active
processes of news construction and crime management” (Barak, 1994)
FEAR OF CRIME
Individuals who frequently watch television are more likely to feel a greater
threat from crime, believe that crime is more prevalent than statistics
indicate, and take more precautions against crime. (Dowler, 2003; Wood &
Ribeiro, 2010)
POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES
“The lack of confidence in the courts and police has prompted a growing
number of Latin Americans to support quick- fix “solutions” that short circuit
or undercut democratic norms” (Prillaman, 2003)

4. Research Questions
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(1) What is the actual prevalence of crime in Amazonas, and how does it vary
by social status?
(2) What is the profile of the media-constructed image of the prevalence and
character of crime and violence?
Hr: Political TV shows are more violent than non-political TV shows
(3) In what ways do the actual estimates differ from the image the media
presents to the public?
(4) What decision-making processes do newsrooms employ when they cover
crime in the state?
HYPOTHESIS
Media’s portrayal of crime in Amazonas is exaggerated, distorted and divorced
from the actual prevalence of crime.

5. Methods
INTERREALITY COMPARISON (DIXON AND LINZ, 2000)
Crime on the streets: Estimates of the prevalence of crime
victimization: 2009 National Household Survey – PNAD and Mapa
da Violencia (Weiselfisz, 2011)
Crime on TV: Content Analysis of crime shows Comunidade Alerta
and Alô Amazonas
58 stories from Comunidade Alerta and Alô Amazonas (June 06 –
17, 2011)
Unit of analysis: each story (approximately 5 min each)
Focus on three aspects of programming:
a) Demographics
b) Characterizations
c) World-view
Participant observation and interviews: six weeks in Manaus

6. Crime on the streets X Crime on TV
Number and Percentage of Stories that Depicted Offense Types by
Victimization Rates per 1,000 inhabitants Program*
Amazonas, Brazil – 2008 Amazonas, June 2011
Alo
Comunidade Alerta Combined
Type of Crime Rate Percentage Amazonas
Theft 37.86 38.52% % n % n % n
Robbery 44.11 44.88% Homicide** 62.5 10 33.3 14 41.4 24
Assault 16.08 16.36% Motive
Money 0 0 21.4 3 12.5 3
Total non-lethal 98.06 99.77% Drugs 50 5 7.1 1 4.2 1
victimizations Passion 0 0 14.3 2 8.3 2
No apparent
0 0 21.4 3 12.5 3
reason
Homicides* 24.5 Unknown 50 5 28.6 4 36.7 9
0.24%
Theft 0 0 11.9 5 8.6 5
Total
victimizations Robbery*** 0 0 35.7 15 25.9 15
100%
Drug/weapon trafficking 37.5 6 11.9 5 19 11
Source: PNAD Assault 0 0 7.1 3 5.2 3
2009 Total 100 16 100 42 100 58
*Per 100.000 inhabitants - Source: Mapa da Violencia * Percentages based on total number of crime stories in each show.
2011 (Waiselfisz, 2011) ** Includes attempted murder
***Includes burglary/land invasion

7. Interreality comparison

8. Crime on the streets: victims
LETHAL VICTIMIZATIONS
(1) 24.8 homicides per 100,000 (2008): 17th most dangerous state in
Brazil
(2) Youth (15-24 years old): 46 per 100,000 inhabitants
(3) 92.4% males
Probability of a victim of homicide being Afro-Brazilian is 290.2% higher
than being white
NON-LETHAL VICTIMIZATIONS: THE MOST VULNERABLE
(1) Theft: Black, female, 40-49 years, employed (sales)
(2) Robbery: Black, male, 30-39 years, employed (services)
(3) Assault: Black, male, 20-29 years old, unemployed
The more violent the crime, the younger, poorer, and darker the victim

9. Interreality: race

10. Findings
(1) Victims appear only on 41% of the stories, body of a victim
52.4%
(2) Comunidade Alerta is more violent than Alô Amazonas
(3) Drug-related crimes are newsworthy in Amazonas
“News about drug seizures or the arrest of a drug dealer will always make an
impact. That‟s because the average citizen likes to see drug criminals being
punished.” (Military Police Representative, Personal communication, June 29,
2011)
(4) Robbery, theft and assault underrepresented
(5) Underrepresentation of black AND white victimization
(6) Underrepresentation and misrepresentation of females: only
predatory crimes

11. Conclusions
(1) Crime on TV is more violent and random than actual statistics
(2) TV stories emphasize the role of criminals, their weapons, and their
connections to the drug industry.
(3) Amazonas, Brazil: Lack of representation of victims in Amazonas’ local
media  being a victim not a benign role in the crime phenomenon.
Hosts: “(s)he was the victim of drug traffic”, “(s)he made the wrong friends”,
“when a citizen owns money to the bank, his name goes to a collection agency.
When a citizen owns money to the drug traffickers, he will pay with his life.”
(4) Host (Comunidade Alerta): “electronic vigilante”, denounces the failures of
the social system and calls attention to the many risks people face
(5) TV shows mediate relationship between people and authorities: lack of
institutional democratic spaces for representation

12. Thank you!