Some individuals believe that thorough description of a crime on TV and newspapers has harmful effect on people, therefore this kind of information should be banned in the media. While I agree that exposure to such news can have detrimental impact on society, I also believe that that it plays a vital role in informing the public.
On the one hand, detailed description of crime can damage psychological well-being and glorify criminals. When violent content are played on TV in front of the minors, it can have sharp effect on their mindset, especially for children with high vulnerability. For example, most of the teenagers in Brasil are cruel because of daily reports on crime. In addition, regular coverage of illegal activities are encouraging people with mental disorders to follow this, as it already normalized by society. Furthermore, it can expose underpriviliged people to repeat that action and copy the details of crime. Many countries are unable to keep offenders under control since it was popularized on media.
On the other hand, news with graphic content keeps people informed and makes in-depth investigation possible. As citizens will know every part of a story, it keeps them informed and gives opportunity to take safety measures. For example news reports about recent burglaries can alert residents to lock their doors and be careful in their neighborhood. Moreover disturbing media news helps authorities and eyes of the public to monitor criminal activity. Due to daily violent reports big names will track common crime actions and react to them, preventing further offenses.
To sum up, Althogh in-depth description of crime can have harmful influence on society and glorify criminals, it can also play a vital role in informing the public and make deep investigation possible.