" I Just Signed Your Death Warrant"

Abstract

This study analyzes the narratives that emerged in the news media’s coverage of violent crimes against women during the #MeToo Movement. Additionally, it seeks to uncover if and how news media crime coverage differed based on the race of defendants. I conduct a content analysis of the news media coverage of the criminal cases State of Michigan v. Lawrence Gerard Nassar and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. William Henry Cosby, Jr. during the #MeToo Movement. I find that news media coverage of violent crimes against women typically exhibits an inverse relationship in which supportive portrayals of victims predict unsupportive portrayals of defendants, and vice versa. I also find some evidence to suggest that Black male defendants receive more lenient news media coverage than white male defendants. The results of this study demonstrate the power of social movements in influencing criminal justice outcomes and the news media’s role in shaping public opinion on criminal cases.