Immigration and Crime in the Local News: Exploring the Macrolevel Covariates of Coverage and Framing

ABSTRACT Contrary to empirical evidence, immigration is seen as increasing rates of crime among the public. However, most people draw from secondary sources—including local news media—to form such opinions. We examine the contextual factors impacting whether and how local media describe the immigration–crime nexus. Using data constructed from content analysis of over 3,800 news articles, we find that the likelihood of local media providing coverage of immigration and crime varies as a function of the violent crime rate, minority population size and growth, and religious and political conservatism. Additionally, news “frames” depend on contextual factors too: Articles in more affluent communities with growing minority populations link immigration to higher rates of crime but are less likely to discuss the protective effects of immigration or immigrant refugees.