"For instance, why are we terrorizing this country, leading with murder and mayhem, when crime is actually on the decline, as somebody, as somebody mentioned?"
About this Quote
Amanpour’s line is less a question than an indictment of a media-political feedback loop that thrives on panic. The verb choice matters: “terrorizing” flips the usual script. Instead of the public fearing crime, she suggests the country is being frightened by the people and institutions claiming to protect it. That’s a provocative inversion from a journalist known for war-zone clarity, now applied to domestic narrative warfare.
“Leading with murder and mayhem” is newsroom language disguised as moral critique. It points to the editorial instinct to front-load violence because it’s sticky, clickable, and emotionally legible. The subtext: a nation can experience less crime and still feel less safe if the information environment is calibrated to maximize dread. That’s not just about cable news chyrons; it’s also about campaign strategy, fundraising, and policy salesmanship. Fear is a multipurpose currency.
The stuttered repetition, “as somebody, as somebody mentioned,” is revealing. It’s the sound of live television, but also a subtle gesture toward the banality of the evidence: this isn’t an exotic claim. Crime declines have been documented for years, yet the “crime wave” story keeps regenerating. Amanpour is calling out that gap between data and dramaturgy, where the loudest narrative wins regardless of its statistical footing.
Contextually, the line lands in an era when “law and order” rhetoric is routinely deployed to justify harsher policing, punitive immigration stances, or expansive surveillance. Her intent is to force a reckoning: if the numbers contradict the nightmare, who benefits from keeping the nightmare on air?
“Leading with murder and mayhem” is newsroom language disguised as moral critique. It points to the editorial instinct to front-load violence because it’s sticky, clickable, and emotionally legible. The subtext: a nation can experience less crime and still feel less safe if the information environment is calibrated to maximize dread. That’s not just about cable news chyrons; it’s also about campaign strategy, fundraising, and policy salesmanship. Fear is a multipurpose currency.
The stuttered repetition, “as somebody, as somebody mentioned,” is revealing. It’s the sound of live television, but also a subtle gesture toward the banality of the evidence: this isn’t an exotic claim. Crime declines have been documented for years, yet the “crime wave” story keeps regenerating. Amanpour is calling out that gap between data and dramaturgy, where the loudest narrative wins regardless of its statistical footing.
Contextually, the line lands in an era when “law and order” rhetoric is routinely deployed to justify harsher policing, punitive immigration stances, or expansive surveillance. Her intent is to force a reckoning: if the numbers contradict the nightmare, who benefits from keeping the nightmare on air?
Quote Details
| Topic | Justice |
|---|
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