The Communication of Fear: Factors of Crime News Impacting Engagement on Social Networks

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This manuscript investigates an important and timely topic: the factors within crime news on social media that influence user engagement. The study’s focus on Latin American media outlets offers a valuable regional perspective often underrepresented in media studies. The methodology is appropriate and sound. However, some areas could be slightly revised to enhance the manuscript’s contribution and clarity.

1. The primary aim is stated as analyzing “the impact of crime news on users’ digital engagement on social networks” and more specifically, "the influence of presentation format, crime details, and news or discursive values on people’s interaction with media content.” While the aims are clear and hypotheses are presented after each theoretical discussion, the introduction needs to be better at introducing more explicit research questions and hypotheses corresponding to each set of independent variables (format, crime details, DNVs) and their hypothesized relationship with engagement (likes and comments separately, if distinct effects are anticipated). For example, one on how the presentation format (image, image collection, short video, long video) of crime news on Instagram affect user engagement (likes and comments); another on the extent to which specific crime details (type of crime, perpetrator gender, perpetrator nationality) in Instagram influence user engagement; and last, a third one on the relationship between the presence of specific discursive news values (consonance, elitism, etc.) in crime news on Instagram and user engagement.
2. The discussion hints at a puzzle with the finding that the type of crime (except kidnapping for comments) didn’t significantly impact engagement, contrary to some prior literature. This could be foregrounded earlier as a point of theoretical tension; the study explores
3. The study aims to provide “relevant information for understanding the interaction between electronic media and the perception of criminality among Latin American viewers.” While engagement is a proxy, the study doesn’t directly measure the perception of criminality. This link could be more explicitly stated as an implication rather than a direct outcome of the current study design. Similarly, while the paper mentions the potential for engagement to influence "collective perception of security and trust in law enforcement," the current study focuses on what drives engagement, not the effects of that engagement. Clarifying this boundary would be helpful.
4. The manuscript identifies a gap in understanding “the influence exerted by the characteristics of the news...on viewers' behavior and attitudes... However, the introduction could more strongly emphasize why this gap is critical to fill, particularly in the Latin American context, perhaps by briefly touching upon the specific socio-political or media landscape realities of these countries that make such an investigation pertinent (besides being dangerous). 
5. The “Normalization of Violence” is introduced in the abstract and discussion as a possible explanation for the findings. If it's a key interpretive lens, it would be beneficial to introduce and briefly discuss this concept within the literature review.
6. Media outlet selection: The term "most dangerous" could be framed more neutrally (e.g., "countries with high reported crime rates"). The reliance on follower count as a proxy for reach/influence is common, but its limitations could be briefly acknowledged.
7. Analyzing the "last 50 posts related to crimes" is practical. However, please clarify: Is there a specific timeframe for these "last 50 posts," or were they collected until 50 crime-related posts were found for each outlet, regardless of how far back that went? This could impact DNV's " temporality."
8. Discussion regarding H2A (Type of Crime): The lack of significant findings (except kidnapping and comments) is a key result. The interpretation leaning towards "normalization or desensitization to crime" is plausible and vital, especially for the studied context. This could be linked more strongly to cultivation theory or other relevant media effects theories. As for H2B (Perpetrator Gender), the rejection of this hypothesis is noted. The discussion could briefly reflect on why this might be the case in these specific contexts or on this platform, perhaps relating to the visual nature of Instagram or evolving social norms.

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments and suggestions. Please refer to the attached document for our detailed, point-by-point responses and the corresponding revisions made to the manuscript.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper presented appears clear and promising from the very beginning. The methodology adopted appears adequate and clear in the description of the various research phases. The reference sample chosen is also interesting because it is relatively present in studies on digital media, especially in the European context.
Specifically, this research analyzes the impact of crime news on the digital engagement of users on social networks. Specifically, this study examines the influence of the presentation format, the details of the
crime and the news or discursive values ​​on people's interaction with media content. To achieve the
study objective, 1,000 posts from the social network Instagram on crime were displayed in the main
press outlets of Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay and Ecuador. Content analysis was used to code the
variables, while negative binomial regression models were used to evaluate their
impact on engagement, measured through the likes and comments received on the posts. The results clearly show readers that videos and shorter image collections generate more engagement than other formats, while the type of crime did not show significant differences in interaction, suggesting a possible normalization of violence among the viewers analyzed. Among the news values, inseparability had a positive effect on engagement, while consonance and references to elite figures showed negative effects. The original value of this research lies in empirically verifying how the characteristics of crime news influence engagement, providing relevant information to understand the interaction between electronic media and the perception of crime among Latin American viewers.

.The conclusions appear quite relevant regarding the relationship between the presentation of crime news on social media and digital engagement despite the specific, but not limited, object of the study.
The measurement of user participation metrics is clear and correct and allows us to reach conclusions that not only contribute to the theoretical and empirical understanding of the phenomenon, but also have social and political implications for media organizations, the public and public institutions. From the point of view of news organizations and the effectiveness of journalistic strategies, the results suggest that focusing on shorter or more easily accessible and dynamic formats, such as short videos or collections of images, can have a positive impact on the ability to capture and maintain the attention of the public. As the authors recall, however, it is essential that the presentation format maintains a balance with the richness of information, ensuring that objectivity and journalistic quality.

This contribution is therefore considered publishable.

Author Response

The response is provided in the attached file. Thank you.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf