"Crimmigration" in the Media: a Long-term Analysis of Crime Reports in Germany

• In Event: Media Depictions of Crime Perpetration: Bias, Stereotypes, and Trends

Abstract

Public opinion in Germany towards immigrants and refugees is increasingly characterized by rejection. The word “crimmigration” was coined based on the assumption that refugees and immigrants are a security risk for the Western world. Right-wing populists promote fear of crime and the rejection of immigrants.

This study analyzes the connection between figures and positions from right-wing populism and the trends in reporting on violence in relevant German mass media. The database consists of 1684 crime reports of the most-seen German television channels and 852 crime reports of wide-spread German newspapers from six waves of investigations between 2007 and 2023. This media data is compared with the police crime statistics from the respective years of the investigation and with the press releases from the right-wing populist German party AfD on crime and security issues.

Our analysis shows that foreign suspects are strongly overrepresented in media reports, possibly unintentionally similar to right-wing populist interpretation patterns. This is evident across the entire sample but is much more pronounced in the tabloid media examined.

These insights are relevant as media coverage plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of foreign suspects in crime reports, with potentially significant consequences for social cohesion and integration.

Author

• Thomas Hestermann, Macromedia University, Hamburg