THE CONSTRUCTION,

DECONSTRUCTION AND
RECONSTRUCTION OF CRIME
NEWS: A CASE STUDY OF THE
MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPERS.

Azman Azwan Azmawati, Adnan Hussein, Juliana

Abdul Wahab,
Shuhaida Md Noor, Raqib Sofyan
School of Communication
Universiti Sains Malaysia
11800, Penang, Malaysia

Case study
A UiTM Permatang Pauh student,
Nursyuhada Johari,20, had her throat
slit by a man at the North-South
Expressway on Monday, 2nd February,
2015.
How Harian Metro, Malay Mail,
Utusan Malaysia and The Star
covered the story?

Newspaper

The Star

Headlines and number

of stories

1. Girlfriend tossed onto

busy expressway,
Cook slits student
throat after quarrel in
car
2. He harassed my
daughter for years,
Dad: Jilted man who
killed my girl has
violent nature

Sources

1. Police source
2. Father

Placement of news (size

allocation given)

1. Inside page (medium

column)
2. Inside page (medium
column)

Date of news published

1. 3rd February 2015

2. 4th February 2015

Style of reporting

Facts only

Newspaper

The Malay Mail

Headlines and number of

stories

1. Suspect harassed her

for years, says victims
father

Sources

1. Father

Placement of news (size

allocation given)

1. Inside page(medium
column)

Date of news published

1. 4th February, 2015

Style of reporting

Facts only

Newspaper

Utusan Malaysia

Headlines and number of stories

1.
2.

4.
5.
6.

Pelajar UiTM mati selepas leher dikelar

Nursyuhada diugut pisau, dipaksa keluar
bersama
Suspek kelar pelajar miliki kad rawatan mental,
Direman tujuh hari
Hasrat temui kawan baik tidak kesampaian
Mangsa kelar tidak diculik
Kenapa kejam terhadap anak saya- Ibu

Sources

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Police source
Family members
Police source
Close friends
UiTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Family member

Placement of news (size allocation given)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Front page (large column)

Front page(small column)
Inside page (large column)
Inside page (moderate column)
Inside page (moderate column)
Inside page (moderate column)

Date of news published

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

3rd
3rd
4th
4th
4th
4th

Style of reporting

Facts with detail reporting; example: Dia belum

mampus lagi ke?-suspek; Hanya Tuhan tahu
perasaan saya ketika itu-Ibu)

3.

February
February
February
February
February
February

2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015

Newspaper

Harian Metro

Headlines and number of stories

1.

3.
4.
5.
6.

Pelajar disembelih tepi lebuh raya, JANTAN

KEPARAT!
Taasub tagih cinta, suspek ganggu mangsa
sejak sekolah hingga keluarga lapor polis.
Terima rawatan psikiatri setiap bulan
UiTM nafi diculik
Bapa lapor polis secara lisan tanpa rekod
Kesal kenyataan UiTM

Sources

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Anonymous source
Family member
Police source
Timbalan Naib Canselor UiTM
Police source
Family member

Placement of news (size allocation given)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Front page (large column)

Front page (large column)
Inside page (small column)
Inside page (small column)
Inside page (medium column)
Inside page (medium column)

Date of news published

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

3rd
4th
4th
4th
5th
5th

Style of reporting

Facts with detail reporting (Example:Dia tak

mampus lagi ke?- suspek; Anda fikir saya mampu
memaafkan suspek dan keluarganya?- Ibu

2.

February
February
February
February
February
February

2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015