Socio economic factors mediate the link between media and crime because there is a tendency to assume that poor neighborhoods host the largest amount of criminals. When a similar crime is committed in affluent areas, there is a form of sensationalism as if no affluent person is capable of committing a crime.

The groups, and the norms of groups, to which the audience members belong mediate the link between the media and crime because they stir public opinion and can create enough propaganda about anything. If a specific group happens to be powerful social network, just about any information can be filtered or created about crime rates, crime trends, and more.

People to people communication mediate the link between media and crime, because if one person decides to spread the word about a particular crime, or decides to undercover an area where crime occurs and then begins to persuade others to disseminate that same information, the media can have a hold of what would become witnesses to what later can become a mass media situation.