Supporting the Iron Fist: Crime News, Public Opinion, and Authoritarian Crime Control in Guatemala

Krystin Krause

54 citations0/0 files storedLatin American Politics and Society

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Media Studies and Communication Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance Crime, Deviance, and Social Control

Abstract

Abstract Authoritarian responses to rising violent crime rates have become a serious problem in Central America. Inspired by theories of agenda setting and media framing, this article examines the influence of news media coverage of crime on attitudes toward crime control. Using an original survey experiment, it tests the relationship between crime news, fear of crime, trust in government institutions, and support for authoritarian crime control measures in Guatemala. It finds that crime news influences support for authoritarian crime control via its effect on lowering citizen trust in government institutions. Exposure to crime news also affects self-reported victimization rates and levels of support for a presidential candidate promoting iron fist policies. These findings not only give insight into the relationship between crime news and political attitudes but also have implications for the rule of law and the politics of crime in new or fragile democracies.

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References

1972The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media 1991Is Anyone Responsible?1992A Simple Theory of the Survey Response: Answering Questions versus Revealing Preferences 1975Thinking about crime 2000The Origins and Consequences of Public Trust in Government 2000City of Walls: Crime, Segregation, and Citizenship in São Paulo 1998On the Legitimacy of National High Courts 1998Making crime pay: law and order in contemporary American politics

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