Three Months of Murder: A Computational Analysis of the Representation of Murder in South African News Media

Abstract

The way crime, particularly murder, is covered in news media plays an important role in shaping public perception and influencing policy debates. However, biases in reporting can mislead the understanding of crime trends and their broader societal impact. This research examines South African news media coverage of murder over a three-month period, using computational methods to analyse the factors that influence media attention. Specifically, it investigates the demographic and circumstantial characteristics of murder reporting, including race, age, gender, methods of murder, geographic location, victim-perpetrator relationships, and legal outcomes. These findings are then compared with actual crime statistics to assess differences in reporting. The results indicate instances of both over- and underreporting by media outlets, suggesting potential biases in coverage. This research highlights the value of computational techniques in criminology research in extracting meaningful insights from annotated news data. It contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how murder is represented in South African media.