The Effect of Media Exposure of Suspects on Solving Crime

Dinand Webbink; J van Erp; F van Gastel

doi:10.1111/ecoj.12287

The Effect of Media Exposure of Suspects on Solving Crime

Dinand Webbink, J van Erp, F van Gastel

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this study we investigate the effect of showing suspects of crime in a TV programme on the probability of apprehension. We exploit exogenous variation in the number of viewers of the crime programme induced by Champions League games broadcast on competing channels. The estimates show that an increase in the number of viewers of the TV programme increases the probability of solving crime, especially for criminal cases with many potential observers or cases for which it is easier to recognise suspects due to the quality of the images. The implication of our findings is that media can be effectively used for detection of crime suspects.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	547-570
Number of pages	24
Journal	The Economic Journal
Volume	127
Issue number	600
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12287
Publication status	Published - 2018

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1111/ecoj.12287

http://hdl.handle.net/1765/90220

Cite this

@article{b9e227fdc8bc4e9693e6be4863d63c72,

title = "The Effect of Media Exposure of Suspects on Solving Crime",

abstract = "In this study we investigate the effect of showing suspects of crime in a TV programme on the probability of apprehension. We exploit exogenous variation in the number of viewers of the crime programme induced by Champions League games broadcast on competing channels. The estimates show that an increase in the number of viewers of the TV programme increases the probability of solving crime, especially for criminal cases with many potential observers or cases for which it is easier to recognise suspects due to the quality of the images. The implication of our findings is that media can be effectively used for detection of crime suspects.",

author = "Dinand Webbink and {van Erp}, J and {van Gastel}, F",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1111/ecoj.12287",

language = "English",

volume = "127",

pages = "547--570",

journal = "Economic Journal",

issn = "0013-0133",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "600",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Effect of Media Exposure of Suspects on Solving Crime

AU - Webbink, Dinand

AU - van Erp, J

AU - van Gastel, F

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - In this study we investigate the effect of showing suspects of crime in a TV programme on the probability of apprehension. We exploit exogenous variation in the number of viewers of the crime programme induced by Champions League games broadcast on competing channels. The estimates show that an increase in the number of viewers of the TV programme increases the probability of solving crime, especially for criminal cases with many potential observers or cases for which it is easier to recognise suspects due to the quality of the images. The implication of our findings is that media can be effectively used for detection of crime suspects.

AB - In this study we investigate the effect of showing suspects of crime in a TV programme on the probability of apprehension. We exploit exogenous variation in the number of viewers of the crime programme induced by Champions League games broadcast on competing channels. The estimates show that an increase in the number of viewers of the TV programme increases the probability of solving crime, especially for criminal cases with many potential observers or cases for which it is easier to recognise suspects due to the quality of the images. The implication of our findings is that media can be effectively used for detection of crime suspects.

U2 - 10.1111/ecoj.12287

DO - 10.1111/ecoj.12287

M3 - Article

SN - 0013-0133

VL - 127

SP - 547

EP - 570

JO - Economic Journal

JF - Economic Journal

IS - 600

ER -

The Effect of Media Exposure of Suspects on Solving Crime

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this