The rising tide of crime in North America exists primarily in the
minds of the media. Television has created a perception that crime has
multiplied, double or triple, in the past quarter-century due to violence.
In fact, US Justice Department survey data shows, crime in the US has
dropped 24 percent since 1971 and violent crime is down 2 percent.
Crime statistics serve the media well. The single-minded reporting of
violent news, the presentation of violent movies and violent reality-based
"cop" shows has made violent crime a growth industry for the television,
press, and media.
Violence bombards us constantly. Networks shoot in sequence one
violent scene after another, delivering untold numbing horror into Canada's
living rooms, bedrooms, and nurseries. Taped TV violence, unlike real
violence, repeats over and over in an accelerating pattern. The sounds and
scenes of violence echo, firing in every direction without concern for
targets or casualties. Canadians are developing a vision of themselves as
hopeless victims of criminal forces they cannot control and cannot
understand.
While TV grows rich on violence, the nation is threatened by loss of
self-esteem, fear of crime, and fear of our neighbours. ...