Media slants statistics in coverage of DC crime: Bias Breakdown

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control for 30 days. Invoking a 1973 law, Trump asserted his authority to use the D.C. police for federal purposes, marking an escalation in his effort to address crime in the nation’s capital.

While this federalization only involves the police force and not the entire city government, it has sparked a divide in media coverage, much of which focuses not on the facts themselves but on competing narratives about crime in the District of Columbia.

Media slant: What it means, why it matters

This divide in coverage is a classic example of media slant, a form of bias defined by media watchdog AllSides as “highlighting or playing up one particular angle… through cherry-picking information to support one side.” Slant narrows the scope of understanding, preventing audiences from seeing the full story.

In this case, left-leaning and right-leaning news outlets present conflicting pictures of crime in D.C. by either emphasizing a dramatic crime surge justifying Trump’s move, or highlighting falling crime rates that question the necessity of federal intervention.

For example, Fox News headlines Trump’s federal takeover as a response to a “violent crime surge,” emphasizing that the city has one of the highest murder rates nationally. Meanwhile, Axios reports that crime is falling, noting that violent crime is at a 15-year low in the district.

Media narratives and selected statistics

Left-leaning outlets largely highlight falling crime rates in D.C. when reporting on Trump federalizing the city’s police.

• “As of 2024, violent crime is at a 15-year low in the district,” ABC reported. “This year’s numbers are on track to be even lower.”
• “Crime in D.C. is down this year — all crime, property crime, violent crime, all of it’s down,” NBC reported.
  
• “It’s worth noting, contrary to the president’s claims, violent crime in Washington, D.C. last year hit a 30-year low,” PBS reported.
  

Right-leaning outlets largely highlight elevated crime levels in D.C. when reporting on Trump federalizing the city’s police.

• “In many ways, D.C. has become a disgrace. In 2023, the city had a homicide rate of 40 per 100,000 residents, ranking fifth worst among the 60 largest U.S. cities,” Fox News reported.
  
• “Our nation’s capital is a crime-ridden dump. The Washington, D.C. crime rate is more than twice the national average, making it one of the most dangerous metro areas in the entire country,” Newsmax reported.
  
• “The statistics are eye-popping. When compared to other major U.S. cities, the homicide rate in D.C. is horrible, ranking as the fourth worst murder rate in the nation,” Fox News reported.

How media skews stories through data

Numbers themselves don’t lie, but how they’re presented can profoundly influence public perception. Media outlets often select facts that align with their audience’s views, which can deepen divides and obscure the full picture.

As consumers of news, it’s important to recognize media slant when stories rely on selective data to support competing narratives. Understanding the full scope of statistics behind crime in D.C. reveals a city grappling with serious challenges, but also showing recent signs of progress.

Getting the complete story and recognizing media bias helps you stay informed and think critically about what you read and watch.