Medier, Brottslighet och Opinion : En kvantitativ studie om dagordningsteorins effekter i svensk brottsrapportering

Sammanfattning

This study examined the relationship between the swedish crime rates and crime-related news coverage between 2015 and 2025. Drawing on theories of agenda-setting and public opinion, the study investigated whether changes in crime statistics affected the extent of media reporting on crime. The study also examined how this relationship changed over time. The findings indicate that the number of reported crimes is not correlated with the amount of crime-related news coverage. When the control variable for the total number of published news articles is included, however, a weak but statistically significant negative relationship emerges between crime rates and crime-related news coverage. At the same time, the total number of articles exhibits a strong positive relationship with the amount of crime-related news coverage. The results suggest that the extent of crime reporting is largely influenced by the general news flow rather than by variations in actual crime levels. The study thus contributes to an understanding of the relationship between crime statistics and media coverage in Sweden.