The Fugitive: The news media’s role in the production of social problems and responsibilization of the public

In April 2022, the escape of a young Black man from police custody in Reykjavík, Iceland, prompted a media narrative framing him as a dangerous fugitive, inciting public fear and action. This portrayal mobilized citizen participation in the manhunt but also led to repeated mistaken identity cases involving the same innocent teenager, fuelling allegations against the police of racial profiling. Through a narrative criminology lens, this paper examines how Icelandic news media’s framing constructed the fugitive as a societal threat, the public as responsibilized actors in crime control, and the teenager as a symbol of systemic racial bias. Set against Iceland’s ongoing demographic shifts and rising fears of crime, the study explores the interplay of crime storytelling, public engagement, and institutional responses. The paper highlights the potential of media narratives in shaping public perceptions by producing and contesting social problems.