Story perspectives

Study Reveals Media Bias in Reporting Foreign Crime

10/22/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Thomas Hestermann, journalism professor, reports in Crime and Migration: Perception in German Media that foreign suspects are mentioned three times more often than their share in police statistics.
The study notes a distortion since the 2015 refugee influx that aligns with a right-wing agenda.
Criminologist Gina Wollinger notes crime is tied to socio-economic factors rather than nationality and urges more diverse editorial teams to improve reporting accuracy overall.

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Story summary

Thomas Hestermann, journalism professor, reports in Crime and Migration: Perception in German Media that foreign suspects are mentioned three times more often than their share in police statistics.
The study notes a distortion since the 2015 refugee influx that aligns with a right-wing agenda.
Criminologist Gina Wollinger notes crime is tied to socio-economic factors rather than nationality and urges more diverse editorial teams to improve reporting accuracy overall.