Avoiding hyperbole in crime reporting

1. Define the term "hyperbole" and identify instances when hyperbole is used in news writing.
2. Explain problems associated with using hyperbolic language in news reporting.
3. Offer tools for presenting information in a credible and precise manner when discussing changes in crime trends, including quantifying the amount of change, stating the direction of change, and contextualizing the change.

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and explain examples of hyperbolic language used by reporters when discussing crime trends.

2. Rewrite headlines and other parts of the articles using precise and factual language that contextualizes the information appropriately.

• Bodle, A. (2014, June 19). Never mind the hyperbolics. Please can I have some less? | Mind your language. The Guardian.

• Bennett, L., Mendoza, N., Nopper, T., & Kaplan, J. (2022). “Covering Crime Data During Election Season”. A Journalist’s Guide to the FBI’s 2021 Crime Statistics. The Center for Just Journalism. 

1. Define the literary term “hyperbole” and provide instances when hyperbole is used.

   • Hyperbole is a literary device where the author is using exaggeration to gain attention or provide emphasis.

   • Within the context of news writing, hyperbole appears as exaggerated language or sensationalized descriptions to make a news story more dramatic or attention-grabbing. This can include the use of extreme adjectives, exaggerating the impact or scope of an event, or using alarmist or fear-mongering language. The use of hyperbole can sometimes distort the facts and create a skewed perception of what is actually happening.

2. Show the video Fear Mongering And Misinformation In News Coverage Of Crime Rates. Make It Make Sense. (Total time: 4:50. Alternatively, you may ask students to watch prior to class.) 

3. Ask students what hyperbolic language they heard from reporters speaking about crime trends. Answers should include things like “surge”, “crime wave”, “unsustainable crime spike”, “violent crime spike”, etc.

4. Discuss with students the issues with using these types of words and phrases. How are these examples hyperbolic?

5. Tell students that when discussing crime statistics, it is important to use specific language that presents the information in a credible, precise way. When writing about changes in crime trends, journalists should:

   • State the direction of change: Stating the direction of change in a statistical trend means telling if something is increasing or decreasing over time. For example, if we see that the number of property crimes each year is going up, we can say that the trend is increasing. On the other hand, if the number of property crimes each year is going down, we can say that the trend is decreasing.

   • Quantify the amount of change: Quantifying the change in a statistical trend means figuring out how much something has changed over time. We look at the numbers, subtract the original from the new, and divide by the original to get a percentage change.

   • Contextualize the change: Contextualizing the change in a statistical trend means looking at the bigger picture and understanding how and why the trend is changing. For example, if we see that property crimes increased this year, we might want to understand whether the new crime rate is unusually high. We can compare this year’s property crime rate not just with last year’s rate but also with the rate from 5, 10, and 20 years ago. We might also want to understand why the rate increased. Maybe there's a spike in unemployment leaving many people jobless, or perhaps there was an increase in tourism or a special event that impacted the area. By understanding the context, we can better understand the changing trend.

6. Provide students with a list of statements. As a class, in pairs, or in groups, students should identify the hyperbolic language and what information could be used to make the language more precise.

   • Residents in Minneapolis, St. Paul and increasingly some suburban communities are experiencing a record surge in armed carjackings, crimes that are terrorizing victims, baffling police and putting motorists on edge. Source: Star Tribune: Twin Cities area sees surge in carjackings, putting drivers on edge 

   • NYPD's new crime statistics show an alarming jump in violence in New York City's subway system, and robberies are fueling that trend. Source: ABC New York: Surge in New York City subway crime fueled by robberies, muggings 

   • Five years later, the shoplifting epidemic in San Francisco has only worsened. Source: New York Times: San Francisco’s Shoplifting Surge

   • Violent crimes are on the rise in six of America's major cities and set to outpace the already historic levels of 2021 violent crime. Source: Fox News: Six major cities on pace to pass historic 2021 violent crime totals halfway through 2022.

Students should find a news article that uses hyperbole in the headline (or students can use one of the articles from the previous activity). Students should rewrite the headline and other parts of the article that use hyperbolic language, ensuring that they are stating directions, quantifying, and contextualizing the information as appropriate.