“This is the third report in a series focused on local news. Read our first report, “Americans’ Changing Relationship With Local News,” and our second report, “How Americans Get Local Political News.”  Crime has long been a major area of focus in local news coverage. In fact, more Americans get news and information about crime than any other local topic except the weather. But how they get that news – and how they react to it – varies widely, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Among the key findings: Around three-quarters of U.S. adults (77%) at least sometimes get news and information about local crime. This includes 34% who do so often. Americans are about as likely to get information about crime from people they know as they are to get it from local news outlets. About seven-in-ten U.S. adults (71%) often or sometimes get news and information about local crime from friends, family and neighbors. A nearly identical share (70%) get this kind of news and information from local news outlets. Like we find with several local news topics, relatively few Americans are highly satisfied with the local crime news they get. Among those who get local crime news, one-third say they are extremely or very satisfied with the quality of this news. About half (48%) say they are somewhat satisfied, and 18% say they are not too or not at all satisfied. Many people experience negative emotions after consuming local crime news. Most Americans who get news about local crime say they at least sometimes feel concerned or angry about what is happening after seeing or hearing about it…”