The above statement by Denny F. Face and Jimmie C. Styles underscores the need for the Nigerian mass media to intensity efforts in crime reporting.
Crimes, whether against persons, habitations, property, morality and decency, public peace, against justice and authority or against public safety, are serious offences which are not only punishable by law but can also seriously hinder the development of a society. In this case, crime diverts efforts of the offenders n a negative path towards development.
Crime seems to be accentuated in the society by lack of patience of each new generation to pass through the rigorious and arduous process which their parents have passed to attain greatness. Other sociological and psychological or even hereditary problems often erupt contribute to crime. For instance, a child who is brought up in t he ghetto with not much facilities of learning, or without a good up bringing and who grows up exposed to aggression as a way of life will most likely grow up into an aggressive adult. Because no individuals lives in isolation of his/her environment, a child born in a disorderly society where crime is on the increase will not directed, live to reflect in his/her styles into. The worry is what are the chances of such an individuals brought up in such a condition ever becoming a good citizen.
There are a number of advantages which readers of newspapers and the society at large are bund to enjoy if crimes as they occur in society are adequately reported and given the desired prominence in the pages of newspapers.
Firstly, the citizens are alerted about the mode of operation of the criminals in order to safeguard themselves from the menace of the criminals.
Secondly, the citizen are educated on the techniques of a crimes. This is important because a large number of Nigerians do not know the law, let alone what constitutes a crime. Unfortunately, ignorance of the law is no excuse and the same weight of punishment faces the informed and uninformed citizenry. But in the Nigerian situation crime stories tend not to be given due prominence in the pages of the newspapers. The assumption may be that other classes of stories have edged out such crime stories. There is however, an unexpressed by manifested psychological feelings of Nigerians, towards crimes. The society itself treats criminals with contempt perhaps the preference given to non-crimes stories by the media arises from the thinking of the practitioners to spot-light issues that will generate larger reader interest.
It is quite clear to us that in our society, deviations from agreed social norms and mores are regarded with distain. Even the ex-convicts are not fully rehabilitated and accepted. Even when crimes are reported in Nigerian newspapers emphasis may or may not be placed on probing the motives of such a crime, stress seems to be attached more to the out come or punishment that accompanies such crimes.
It is a truism that an intention to commit a crimes to one of the essential ingredients of a crime.
The motives for a crime should be ascertained by reporters in order to provide clues that will help in reforming the criminal. It is import ant also to ally the fear that reporting a crime by our mass media may result in lawless ness and in crease in waves. This study also recognizes that an increase in crime waves may hinder the economic, political and social advancement of the society.
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