Reporting Crime : Tools and Tips

This lecture consist of : Meaning and definition of crime, News values in crime reporting, Sources in crime Reporting, Types of Crime in India, How to report accident, Theft, Suicide, Fire, Qualities of a crime reporter, What should a crime reporter keep in mind while reporting crime.

1. Crime Reporting : Tools and
Tips
Dr. Ashok Kumar, Assistant
Professor, IMC&MT,KUK
E mail:[email protected]

2. Crime Reporting
lCrime reporting teaches some of the essential
techniques of journalism. You learn how to dig for a
story, how to follow leads, how to interview people to
extract information and how to write crisp, clear,
interesting stories under pressure of a deadline.
lIn small newspapers, radio and television stations,
general reporters cover crime stories, while in bigger
organisations there may be a specialist crime reporter
or team of reporters who cover nothing else but crime.
lThese specialist reporters are occasionally called crime
reporters, although this title gives a misleading idea of
their task. It suggests that all they do is report on what
the police are doing when, in fact, crime reporting should
cover all aspects of law-breaking - the police, the
criminals and the victims.

3. Why report crime?
lCrime reporting has long been a central part of news coverage in
free press societies, because crime stories are usually
newsworthy.
lThere are several reasons why you should report crime and why
people want to read about or listen to stories of crime:
lReaders or listeners often want an explanation of why crimes
happen. They ask: "Could it happen to me?" They may want to
know so that they can prevent a similar thing happening to
themselves.
lYour readers and listeners need to know how laws are broken,
and how people who break laws are caught and punished. This
helps them understand what laws are and what are the penalties
for breaking them.
lMost people obey the law, so crime stories are about unusual
events - one of the criteria for news.
lCriminals take risks and face punishment if they are caught.
This may make them fascinating to read about.

4. Role of a crime reporter
lYou have a role to play, in providing information
to counteract rumour. People will hear about
crimes through casual conversations or rumour,
or they may hear a siren as a police car dashes
along the road; they will be only half-informed.
l It is your job as a journalist to tell them the
truth about the rumoured crime or explain why
the police car went past. If you can establish a
reputation for reliability in this field, people will
buy your paper or tune into your station as a way
of making sure they know what is happening.

5. Types of crime
lThere are many types of crimes, criminals and victims. There are
serious crimes and small offences. There are professional criminals
and ordinary people who occasionally break the law. There are crimes
which have obvious victims and there are the so-called victim-less
crimes (although, as we shall see in a moment, all crimes have a victim
somewhere).
lInteresting : It is not always the major crimes which make the most
interesting news. Of course, your readers or listeners will be
interested to know about an armed hold-up which netted a million
dollars. But they may also be interested in the story of a sneak thief
who broke into a poor widow's home and killed her much-loved cat.As
with all news, crime stories should be new, unusual, interesting,
significant and about people.
lNew - Crime reporting has to be as up-to-date as possible. This is
partly because some crimes depend for their news value on being
current. For example, a story about a violent killer on the loose will
lose much of its impact (and its value in alerting your audience to
danger) once he is captured. Also, because in some societies crimes
are a regular feature of life, today's break-and-enter quickly replaces
yesterday's break-and-enter in the public's attention. Crime stories
get stale quickly.
lUnusual - Murders or armed robbery are not everyday events in most
communities, and so have news value. However, less serious crime can
also have unusual elements. Someone who sneaks on to a bus without
paying or throws rubbish on the street may be breaking the law, but it
is not very newsworthy. However, if a person stows away on an
international airliner, that free flight becomes newsworthy. If the
rubbish someone dumps fills three garbage trucks, that too is
newsworthy.

6. Types of Crime
lInteresting or significant - As we have said, most law-abiding citizens
are interested in people who break the law in big or unusual ways. Crimes
which by themselves are ordinary can become significant when placed in
context. For example, the car theft can be one of hundreds in a city, but
it may become significant if it is the hundredth car to be stolen this year.
lAbout people - Crimes involve people, as criminals and victims. The so-
called victim-less crime does not really exist. The motorist parked in a
No Parking zone at the very least may inconvenience other people and at
worst may cause an accident. People who make false declarations to claim
government benefits are taking money which could have gone to other
people.
lAlways try to tell a crime story in human terms. Do not concentrate
all the time on the police or the criminals. Look at what has happened to
the victim. Your readers or listeners are more likely to be victims of
crime than they are to be either police officers or criminals.
lRemember too that the person the police refer to as "the victim" or
"the deceased" is (or was) a real, living, breathing person. Try to visualise
what their life was like before and after the crime. How did the crime
affect them, their family or community?
l

7. How to judge a crime story ?
lMost stories about crimes will have some news value. Exactly how much depends
on several factors, which you will have to consider.
lSeriousness : We usually assume that more serious crimes are more newsworthy. A
murder is more important than an armed assault, which is more serious than a
break-and-enter, which is more serious than a parking offence. In terms of money,
the bigger the amount stolen, the more important the crime. Remember, however,
that money has a different value to different people. The theft of $100 will be
more newsworthy when it is money taken from a poor widow that when it is stolen
from a rich businessman.
lUnusual nature of the crime : The more unusual crimes are generally more
newsworthy. A break-and-enter at a school may be more newsworthy than a break-
in at a home, but a burglary at a crocodile farm may be more newsworthy still.
lSize of the community : Crimes are usually viewed as more important by smaller
communities. If you are a journalist on a big city newspaper, an ordinary car theft
may not be newsworthy at all. If you are a journalist in a small community, a car
theft may be the biggest news of the week. Everybody may know the owner - they
may all know the car. It is a sad fact that quite horrible crimes do not make the
news in a big city because they are so common and because the chances are small of
readers or listeners knowing the victims or caring about them.
lIdentity of the victim or criminal : Crimes become more newsworthy if they
involve people who are themselves newsworthy. An ordinary person attacked on the
street may not be big news, but if that person is a local chief, that will be very
newsworthy. A fraud case becomes more important when it involves a leading
politician. A robbery becomes bigger news when police reveal that the robber was
an escaped prisoner with convictions for murder and rape. It is generally true that
a crime becomes more newsworthy if there is a strong chance of it happening again
- usually because the criminal is known and likely to strike again.
l

8. Crime reporting and Journalist
lThe role of journalist is very important in crime
reporting.
lReporter has to cultivate sources regularly in crime
reporting.
lHandling the source is the most difficult task in crime
reporting.
lIn crime reporting, reporters have to use different
type of sources. A constable to DGP, a thief, murderer,
any one can be the source in crime reporting.
lCrime beat is the most challenging beat in the news
room. Reporters have to work 24X7 in crime beat.
lHow newspaper and television channels are reporting
crime, it is totally depend on the strength and skills of
the crime reporter.
lCrime beat linked to every human being in a particular
city, state or a country.
lCrime stories are widely read and watched by the
readers and listeners, due to its impact and significance.

9. Qualities and skills requires in a
crime reporter
l Suspicious- As reporting of a crime involves so many
mysteries and all so a crime reporter needs to be more
suspicious in order to get the crux of the story.
l Good Contacts- Getting the hidden information that to
related to crime is very hard, so in order to get the
statements and follow up of the story then a reporter must
have good contacts.
l Analytical And Organized – Crime reporter must
understand the chart, graphs, accounting and legal jargon in
order to present the story to the readers so that they could
get whole information including numerical data as well if any.
l Motivated by Ethics and Morals- He/ She possess a
strong sense of what is right and what is wrong, try to
ensure accountability , transparency etc.
lThere are many qualities like : self confidence,
trustworthiness, courage, communication and teamwork etc.
to get success in this field.

10. Sources in crime reporting
lPolice and Police department
lHospitals
lFIR
lEyewitnesses
lVictim
lVictim Family
lAccused
lIncident reports
lArrest Warrants
lSearch Warrants,
lAutopsy Reports
lMedical reports
lCriminal History Reports
lPolice misconduct investigation
records.
lInvestigation office opinion.
lNational crime record bureau
lCBI, CID, NIA and other
agencies tackling to crime.
lCentre and state Home
Ministry .
lWebsites and social media
accounts of Police department.
lPublic Relations department in
police.

11. Types of Crime
lAccording to National crime record bureau Crime
is manifestation of myriad complex factors. The
genesis of crime can be traced to interplay of
various social, economic, demographic, local and
institutional factors. They together influence
education, employment, parenting / family
relationships, societal cohesiveness, emotional
stability, mental health, anonymity, criminal
orientation, residential stability, leisure etc.
which in turn influence the nature, pattern,
frequency and volume of crime. These and other
latent and concomitant factors vary significantly
across different regions, states and societies

12. Types of Crime in India
lCrime Against women
lCrime against children
lCrime against senor citizen
lAtrocities against schedule
cast and schedule tribe.
lEconomic offences
lCyber crime.
lCrime committed by anti
national elements.
lCrime related to environment
.
lEconomic crime
lMoney disputes
lWater disputes
lLand and Property disputes
lAgrarian
lSuicide
l
lCrime committed by Juvenile.
lKidnapping and abduction.
lViolent crime –Murder, riots,
acid attack
lCrime in Railway.
lHuman trafficking.
lMissing person.
lCrime against foreigners.
lCrime by Foreigners.
lCustodial crime.
lInjuries and causalities,
causalities of police and civilian.
lCrime against state
lCrime related to army
lCrime related to govt employee
lCrime related to election.

13. How to report accident ?
lRoad accident in India claimed over
1.5 lakh lives in 2018.
lOver speeding is the biggest reason
of road accident in India.
l“A total of 4,67,044 road accidents
have been reported by States and
Union Territories (UTs) in the
calendar year 2018, claiming 1,51,417
lives and causing injuries to 4,69,418
persons,” the report said. Over-
speeding accounted for 64.4% of the
persons killed. 
lIndia, ranks 1st in the number of road
accident deaths across the 199
countries reported in the World Road
Statistics, 2018 followed by China
and US. As per the WHO Global
Report on Road Safety 2018, India
accounts for almost 11% of the
accident related deaths in the
World. 
lBeing a crime reporter, you have to
report accident stories regularly.

14. Key elements in a accident story
lTime and place of the
accident.
lCasualty and death in
accident.
lCondition of the injured.
lCause of death
lMedical report.
lPolice investigation.
lEye witness opinion
lDrivers opinion
lVehicle number
lOwner of the vehicle.
lFirst aid given to injured.
lReason of accident.
lRoad condition
lWeather update.
lIdentity of the injured
and dead in road accident.
lOpinion of the
investigation officer.
lFIR ( First information
report)
lViolation of traffic rules,
Insurance.
lMany other, which is
totally depend on the
reporter wisdom.

15. Key elements in a theft story
lPlace and Time
lProperty and human
loss.
lIdentification of the
victim
lOpinion of the victim
and victim family.
lEye witness
lWho reported first.
lFIR
lInvestigation officer
lOpinion of the
investigation officer.
lAny other crime
reported in the area.
lDetail of the
Jewellery, Money and
other items stolen by
the thief.
lWhen was the police
arrived ?
lInvestigation report.
lForensic report.
lAny arrest by the
police.

16. Key elements in Suicide story ?
lTime and Place
lIdentification of the dead.
lHow victim commit suicide.
lAge and occupation of the
dead.
lReason of the suicide.
lWho reported first ?
lOpinion of the victim family,
friends and relatives.
lOpinion of the doctor
lOpinion of the investigation
officer.
lFIR ( First information
report)
lOther record like, Phone call,
Facebook live.
lSuicide note, Personal diary.
lVictim social media accounts.
lPost Mortem report.
lCover all angle of the report.

17. Key elements in a Fire story
lIdentification of dead.
lCause of death
lPost-mortem report
lLocation of fire
lCause and origin of fire
lAny suspected
lDescription of the scene
lDetails of the treatment
lDetail of where the
injured were taken
lCurrent condition of the
injured.
lTime and place of fire
lWhen the fire was
reported and by whom.
lResponse time of the fire
fighters.
lLength of the time to get
the fire control.
lHeroic by the fire people
lExtent of property
damage
lQuotation of the fire
person, Police and eye
witnesses

18. Always keep in Mind
l Cultivate new sources.
lUnderstand how to handle the sources.
lKnow the job responsibility of the source .
lTry to understand technical vocabulary of the police
department.
lKeep verifying the fact.
lUnderstand your organisation policy.
lAlways be sensitive.
lDon’t deceive the source.
lKnow your beat.
lDouble check spelling of name and address.
lBe particular when you are reporting arrest.
lDon’t depend on the police.
lReporting police activities and its daily business is not
crime reporting.

19. Exercise and Practice
l Write down at least five accident stories.
lWrite two theft stories.
lRe write two stories related to crime
against women.
lWrite one Fire story.
lWrite one suicide story.
lMake a list of crime stories reported in a
daily newspaper. Classify the types of crime
stories reported by the newspaper.
lInterview any crime reporter and try to
understand how he/ she became a crime
reporter.

20. References for further reading
lhttps://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%20
2/volume2_35.htm
lhttps://www.vskills.in/certification/blog/crime-reporting/
lhttps://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-
nation/road-accidents-claimed-over-1-5-lakh-lives-in-2018
-over-m_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
lhttps://ncrb.gov.in/
lDr. Ashok Kumar, News writing and reporting, Published
by Shivalik Parkashan New Delhi.
lBruce D. Itule and Douglass A. Anderson, News Writing
and Reporting, Mcgraw –Hill International edition
lDavid Randall, The universal Journalist, Luto Press,
London

21. Thank you very much !