Washington, D.C., DC

Over the 90-day window, city data recorded 4,928 total incidents across tracked categories. Theft alone accounted for 3,524 incidents (72 percent of the measured total), motor vehicle theft added 530 (11 percent), and assault contributed 334 (7 percent). Homicide, the most covered category in both national and local press, measured just 34 incidents, or roughly 1 percent of all recorded crime. Motor vehicle theft (530 incidents, up 50 percent in the most recent 30-day period) and robbery (294 incidents, up 28 percent) received zero national or local coverage stories combined, while theft (3,524 incidents) drew only 2 national stories and no local stories.

National outlets published 99 stories against 8 from local outlets, a ratio of more than 12 to 1. Weapons stories dominated national coverage at 43 of 99 stories (43 percent of national output), yet weapons offenses carry no corresponding count in the city incident data for this window. Homicide drew 18 national stories (18 percent of national output) for 34 measured incidents, while local outlet WTOP DC produced 7 of the 8 total local stories on homicide, including the June 25 report 'Woman sentenced to 29 years for Rock Creek Parkway crash that killed 3' and the June 21 roundup 'From fatal crashes to shootings, DC region records deadly weekend.' Six national vandalism stories (including the NPR report 'Trump claims vandals damaged D.C. Reflecting Pool, and says it will be drained again,' June 21, and the NY Post report 'American Olympic canoeist arrested for allegedly vandalizing Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool,' June 20) reflect a politically prominent incident at the National Mall that does not map to a standard MPD crime category, explaining the zero measured count for vandalism.

The local-versus-national divergence is itself uneven: local coverage concentrated almost entirely on homicide (7 of 8 local stories, 88 percent of local output), leaving robbery, assault, burglary, sex offenses, and the high-volume theft categories with no local stories at all. National coverage amplified weapons and assault well above their measured shares, and elevated landmark-specific incidents (Reflecting Pool vandalism, reflecting pool disorder) that are not tracked in the city incident dataset. The gap between the 72 percent measured share for theft and the combined 2-story, 2 percent national coverage share is the single largest category divergence in this dataset.

Each category’s share of measured incidents, national/cable coverage, and local coverage over the same ~90-day window.

99 national stories · 8 local stories in window

• WTOP DCWoman sentenced to 29 years for Rock Creek Parkway crash that killed 3
• WGN9 ChicagoInterior Department adds fencing around Reflecting Pool amid reports of vandalism
• Guardian USMan arrested near Trump’s reflecting pool plans to fight obscenity charge
• The Guardian WorldMan arrested near Trump’s reflecting pool plans to fight obscenity charge
• WTOP DCFrom fatal crashes to shootings, DC region records deadly weekend
• WTOP DC3 arrested after DC car chase crash kills moped rider
• NPR NewsTrump claims vandals damaged D.C. Reflecting Pool, and says it will be drained again
• NY PostAmerican Olympic canoeist arrested for allegedly vandalizing Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool