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This month, many were confused by a CNN segment claiming “violent crime is a very big problem.” Their ride-along segment with the NYPD was reminiscent of the 1970s era of crime fear-mongering.
But wait – IS violent crime a particularly big deal right now?
Riding in an NYPD patrol car, CNN asked officers about “spiking crime” in the city. One officer argues that anti-police brutality protests “emboldened” people to disrespect police. CNN says they could “sense their frustration.”
But where are they getting evidence of “spiking crime?”
Presenter Chris Cuomo showed a graph depicting a “surge in crime” – and it’s intentionally misleading.
Showing time backwards, the graph makes it look like crime is increasing instead of decreasing. The lows and highs on it appear way bigger than they are, because the range is only 35-55%. And, the chart doesn't record ACTUAL crime rates but a survey of what people THINK about crime!
“You have to put people in jail when they break the law,” Cuomo tells the camera, and the real purpose of the segment suddenly becomes obvious. It’s propaganda to support police narratives, make Black protestors seem unreliable, and justify police actions.
As conversations about defunding police become more and more popular, the United States absolutely will amp up their “copaganda” in response. We need to be able to recognize lies when we see them!