Crime victims: journalistic strategies for representing stories in the Ukrainian media

Abstract

The professional duty of a journalist is to present a chronicle of events in social reality, but at the same time to focus attention on the problems of society (in particular, crime), to attract experts for a professional assessment and search for solutions to these problems. Coverage of criminal issues in the Ukrainian information space is characterized by fragmentation and discreteness. This means that the focus of attention of journalists is on concrete facts of reality, which are presented out of context and do not form a holistic, full-fledged, voluminous view of the problem of crime. The study focuses on journalistic strategies for representing the stories of victims of crime. Based on the results of the analysis of the stories selected for the study, it became obvious that the priority for journalists is: to demonstrate (and leave in the epicenter of attention) stories that have already acquired resonance in society, or to submit stories that can attract the attention of the audience, which can contribute to an increase in the rating of specific mass media (in particular, thanks to the emphasis on the exclusivity of information). It has been determined that journalists are not sensitive to the problem of crime, and even more so to the traumatic experience of a specific person — a victim. For journalists, the main challenge is to create a resonant story that can generate interest from the audience. The narrative of material in a story depends on the journalistic strategy: «to shock» or «to amaze». The strategy «to shock» is to detail / naturalize the essence of the crime, to demonstrate the chronicle of the commission of criminal acts against the victim. The strategy «to amaze» is to reflect the victim’s emotions at the time of the crime and how the victim feels after the incident. The article draws attention to the way in which journalists, presenting stories, violate the recommendations regarding communication with victims (in particular, when interviewing juvenile / minor victims).