Professor Hestermann, you are researching the reporting of acts of violence in German journalism. How do you perceive the reports on the Luise murder case so far, do you recognize familiar patterns? Journalists do not report on all crimes in the same way. Crime reports address two key emotions: compassion and fear. The characteristics of the victim play a major role in both feelings. My research shows that attention is particularly high when a crime occurs that victimizes an innocent young girl. A classic pattern that can be traced back a long way; this is already evident in the ballad or the moritat.

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