Lever Time The Crime Crackdown Cop Out (With Alec Karakatsanis)
Sep 25, 2025
Alec Karakatsanis, a civil rights lawyer and author of 'Copaganda', dives into the myths surrounding crime in America. He challenges President Trump's fearmongering about violent crime by contrasting it with declining FBI data. Karakatsanis explores how media amplifies public fears, particularly targeting marginalized communities. He discusses the dangerous effects of 'broken windows' policing and the PR tactics behind crime coverage, urging for reforms to shift away from oppressive policies and build a more equitable public safety framework.
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Narrow Fear Masks Bigger Harms
- Media narrows fear to specific groups and ignores larger harms like corporate pollution and wage theft.
- Alec Karakatsanis argues this selective focus fuels authoritarian solutions rather than fixing root causes.
News Volume Creates False Waves
- High volume of curated crime stories makes people feel crime is rising despite falling rates.
- Karakatsanis shows viral clips and repeated coverage can manufacture moral panics like shoplifting scares.
Walgreens Shoplifting Viral Spiral
- A single viral Walgreens shoplifting clip spawned 309 news stories while wage-theft allegations got no coverage.
- Karakatsanis uses this to show selective anecdotes can create long-lasting moral panics.
