Has anyone else noticed this year that the local tv and print media has been very low key about crime this year? Much less sensationalizing. Last year was absolutely ridiculous. "City in Crisis" "Murderdelphia" Killadelphia etc.etc. The Philadelphia murder total lead off the local news just about every night.It was as if the murder count took on a life of its own.

I would do a goodle search last year for 2007 Chicago murder total and the only articles that would pop up would be from the Daily News, Inquirer regarding Philadlephia."Philadelphia amd Murder Total" were synonomous. You could not find an article on Detroit,Chicago,Baltimore,NYC for murder totals.


Although there have been plenty of murders in 2008 it seems as if maybe the light has finally gone on for the tv and print media that sensationalizing murder isnt going to make the situation better, and it isnt going to make for better ratings.

How ridiculous is it for larry mendte to start off every newscast with his proclamation." PHILADELPHIA A CITY IN CRISIS."
Report crime, give people the heads up where crime is occurring but dont glorify it. These stupid kids today take news coverage as a badge of honor.

Well, I think murder is actually way down from 2007.

You have to remember, of course, January and February 2007 were extremely bloody months. When you read in April 2007 that murder was up 20% that was largely driven by the January and February figures.

True but you could always count on that murder total even in November,December when murder had declined a bit. They ran with that story for the entire year.

Dont get me wrong I'm glad we're not getting hit over the head every day with a murder tally but murder still happens about every day.But now 3 weekend murders get buried in a 1 paragraph blurb in the Inquirer and the news channels might give a 10 second bit on it and they move on.

Thats the way to do it imo. Glorify arrests dont glorify murder, home invasion robberies, armed robberies that net $30,000.

What is the murder count, btw? I agree with you. I haven't heard one peep about it since the new year. Usually, we were given daily updates on the murder total.

I think the local media's excessive coverage is what caused the national media to pick up the story and start having news segments on it about every week through the second half of 07.

I think you're right OP.

Isn't the decreased murder rate sensational news too?

I guess not.

I second this question. I never know where to look up the current murder count, the only thing I can ever find is the murder maps, but they only get updated a few times per year.

Give it time.. February is Sweeps month, so expect them to focus on something... Specially with the rest of TV is Reality/Reruns thanks to the strike

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"And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day."--Rev. Arnold Conrad

I don't necessarily know where these figures come from, but I had found this blog previously and they are continuing coverage:

http://malcolmxpark.org/?cat=14

This is directly from the blog:

"Murders in Philadelphia as of 11:59 pm, January 24th:
2006: 22
2007: 27
2008: 18
The year is young, but that’s a 33% decline over last year and a 19% decline against 2006."

If it makes you guys feel any better, I've lived in a lot of different places, and the local news sucks everywhere.

It's almost as if the whole point of the local news is to suck. If I saw a local newscast that was good, my head my explode.

As for the death count, maybe I'm just cynical, but I'm surprised someone hasn't created some kind of downloadable desktop counter.

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Once the political climate has cooled they'll be back at it.

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