Research

Freedom, Then the Press: New York Media and Bail Reform

After New York passed reforms to reduce the number of people locked up due to poverty with 55% of voters supporting the move, a rash of articles portraying bail reform as harmful to public safety began to erode that support, and eventually led to rollbacks. The report provides examples of three types of harmful reporting: inaccurate information; racist and dehumanizing language; and sole reliance on law enforcement sources.