<P> News media thrive on feeding frenzies (such as missing white women) because they tend to reduce production costs while simultaneously building an audience interested in the latest development in a particular story . It takes a long time for a reporter to learn enough to write intelligently about a specific issue . Once a reporter has achieved that level of knowledge, it is easier to write subsequent stories . However, major advertisers have been known to spend their advertising budgets through different channels when they dislike the editorial policies . Therefore, a media feeding frenzy focusing on an issue of concern to an advertiser may reduce revenue and profits . </P> <P> Sacco described how "competing news organizations responded to each other's coverage (while) the police, in their role as gatekeepers of crime news, reacted to the increased media interest by making available more stories that reflected and reinforced" a particular theme . "(T) he dynamics of competitive journalism created a media feeding frenzy that found news workers' snatching at shocking numbers' and' smothering reports of stable or decreasing use under more ominous headlines ."' </P> <P> The reasons cited above for increased incarcerations (US racial demographics, Increased sentencing laws, and Drug sentencing laws) have been described as consequences of the shift in editorial policies of the mainstream media . </P> <P> Additionally, media coverage has been proven to have a profound impact on criminal sentencing . A study conducted found that the more media attention a criminal case is given, the greater the incentive for prosecutors and judges to pursue harsher sentences . This is directly linked to the enormous increase in media coverage of crime over the past two decades . While crime decreased by 8% between 1992 and 2002, news reports on crime increased by 800% and the average prison sentence length increased by 2,000% for all crimes . Less media coverage means a greater chance of a lighter sentence or that the defendant may avoid prison time entirely . </P>

What population group had the highest incarceration rate in 2009