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ABSTRACT
The current study explores the relationships among high-profile homicide incidents, media representations of gang homicides, and the establishment of specialized police task forces in British Columbia, Canada. The sample includes all articles on homicide published between 2004 and 2010 in a major daily newspaper (N = 2,873). We examine the attention given to gang-related homicides compared to other homicides, explore the impact of high-profile shootings on trends in reporting, and discuss the timing of media reports in relation to the creation of specialized police forces. Results are discussed with respect to the symbiotic relationship between police organizations and the media.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Beau Bridge, Chelsey Lee, Erwin Kwok, Kelsey Cleave, and Kelsey Gushue for their contribution to the search and coding process and Keramet Reiter, Richard McCleary, Nicholas Branic, and anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments and advice on earlier drafts of this article.
Funding
Jason Gravel is grateful for the financial support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Jason Gravel
JASON GRAVEL is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine. His research interests include street gangs, violence, social network analysis, and crime prevention and intervention. His work was recently published in Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Criminology & Public Policy, and Injury Prevention.
Jennifer S. Wong
JENNIFER S. WONG is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University. Her work employs applied and quantitative methods to study issues of delinquency/crime prevention and intervention, focusing primarily on evaluation and policy analysis in the areas of crime prevention and crime control policy, with a secondary focus on risk factors for delinquency, crime, and recidivism. Recent publications can be found in Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, Aggression and Violent Behavior, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment.
Rylan Simpson
RYLAN SIMPSON is a Doctoral Student in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine. His research interests include policing, neighborhoods, and crime. He approaches these questions using both quantitative and experimental methodologies.