The differential portrayal of ‘sympathetic’ homicide victims in the media
| Author | Jessica Bouchard,Kelsey Gushue,Jennifer S. Wong |
| Published date | 01 September 2020 |
| Date | 01 September 2020 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0269758020916650 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
The differential portrayal
of ‘sympathetic’ homicide
victims in the media
Jessica Bouchard
Simon Fraser University, Canada
Jennifer S. Wong
Simon Fraser University, Canada
Kelsey Gushue
Simon Fraser University, Canada
Abstract
The over-representation of crime is a prevalent occurrence in the media; so too is the under-
representation of certain types of victims of crime. The purpose of the current study is to
explore the role that characteristics of homicide victims play in the presentation and promi-
nenceofanewsstory.Thestudyusesasampleof 3,998 newspaper articles on homicide from
the Vancouver Sun to assess the relationship between victims who are cumulatively portrayed as
more ‘sympathetic’ and structural measures of prominence in newspapers (placement on the
front page, inclusion of a photograph, length of article). The findings reflect a statistically sig-
nificant relationship between victim characteristics and prominent placement of a news article.
Practical implications are discussed in relation to how disproportionate reporting of margin-
alized victims contributes to, reinforces and reproduces further marginalization in society and
by law enforcement.
Keywords
Homicide, media, newspaper, newsworthy, victim characteristics, content analysis
Corresponding author:
Jennifer S. Wong, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6.
Email: jenwong@sfu.ca
International Review of Victimology
2020, Vol. 26(3) 314–331
ªThe Author(s) 2020
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/0269758020916650
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Introduction
In contemporary media, crime and criminal justice-related issues are often at the forefront of news
coverage. Crime is frequently discussed as a prominent social concern and is a major focus in
political conversations about public safety. However, only a fraction of daily events is discussed in
the news. In particular, academics have noted that there is a hierarchy of crimes in the media, and
that the coverage of homicides in the news is highly disproportionate compared to the reality of
how often these crimes actually occur (Jewkes, 2004; Robinson, 2014). Additionally, research
suggests that despite their ‘newsworthiness’, not all homicides receive the same amount of atten-
tion and prominence in the news (Gruenwald et al., 2009). Rather, the probability of a homicide
story being published may vary according to attributes of the victim (Jewkes, 2004).
To elaborate, the ‘newsworthiness’ of a story is dependent on criteria that journalists take in to
consideration when determining whether a story should be published (Jewkes, 2004). The theory
of newsworthiness suggests that the selection of a story is not random; it is a deli berate and
selective decision-making process of filtering, wherein the coverage of an event is dependent on
socially and culturally constructed criteria and values. That is, decisions about which stories are
worthy of publication are based on the perceptions of public appeal (Jewkes, 2004). In particular,
certain types of victim are more likely to receive preferential coverage, and certain types of
victims are disproportionately under-reported by the media. This results in a distortion of social
problems, as the cases reported by the media are not represen tative of the frequency or pre-
valence of what is occurring in real life (Gruenwald et al., 2009; Peelo et al., 2004; Robinson,
2014; see also Dixon, 2008). The implications of disproportionate reporting of crime by the
media and the subsequent skewed public perception of crime can be profoundly consequential
for public safety, fear of crime, police investigations and criminal justice policies and practices
(Gilchrist, 2010; Mastro et al., 2009).
The differential portrayal of victims in the news and the subsequent consequences for public
concern/interest and police investigations is a timely issue in Canada in light of the recent capture
of serial killer Bruce McArthur. In February 2019, McArthur pleaded guilty to eight counts of first
degree murder for missing persons between 2010 and 2017, and was sentenced to life in prison
with no eligibility for parole for 25 years (Faris, 2019; Gibson, 2019; Westoll, 2019). Since the
arrest of McArthur, criticism has ensued regarding the (lack of) media coverage of the disappear-
ances, as well as the mishandling of the investigation into the missing persons cases (Austen, 2019;
BBC News, 2019). Additionally, speculation followed as to whether the marginalized status of the
victims (six of McArthur’s vi ctims were of South Asian or Midd le Eastern descent, all with
connections to Toronto’s Gay Village) influenced the amount of public concern/interest, media
coverage and police effort put into the initial investigations of the missing persons (Austen, 2019;
Nasser, 2018; Vaughan, 2019). Further, it has been speculated that it took the disappearance of
McArthur’s eighth victim – a white male – to reopen public interest in the case of the missing
South Asian and Middle Eastern men in Toronto (Nasser, 2018).
The current study seeks to determine whether there is a systematic bias in the coverage of
certain types of homicide victims in a Canadian newspaper, and adds to the literature by exploring
the role that characteristics of homicide victims play in the presentation of a news story. Addi-
tionally, the study is contextualized through the lens of ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ victims, and how
disproportionate representation of marginalized social groups may further perpetuate social exclu-
sion and marginalization. More specifically, this study explores the role that ‘sympathetic’ char-
acteristics of homicide victims play (e.g. with respect to gender, ethnicity, lack of criminal
Bouchard et al. 315
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