The work, Victimological Silence in Newsrooms: Editorial Gatekeeping and the Marginalisation of Victims’ Voices in Crime Narratives, examined the systemic exclusion of victims in Nigerian crime reporting, with the aim of investigating how victim voices are represented, the editorial gatekeeping practices that shape narratives, and the impact of this silence on public perception. Anchored on Gatekeeping Theory and Framing Theory, the study employed a desk research design with content analysis as the primary method. The population comprised crime news articles from four leading Nigerian newspapers: The Punch, Vanguard, Premium Times, and The Guardian, with two purposively selected reports from each outlet, published over a two-year period (2023–2024). Guided by expert opinion, selection ensured diversity across crime typologies (homicide, sexual violence, robbery, domestic abuse, terrorism) and victim demographics. Articles were retrieved from media archives and digital repositories using targeted keywords such as victim, survivor, crime, police, justice, and murder. Findings revealed that victims are completely absent in reporting, editorial practices overwhelmingly prioritise law enforcement perspectives, and victimological silence shapes public understanding by emphasising procedural and institutional outcomes over human suffering. The study concluded that victimological silence is a structural and ethical failing, producing depersonalised crime narratives that undermine empathy, justice, and societal accountability. The verdict is that media institutions must consciously centre victim experiences to ensure reporting serves both public information and social justice. Accordingly, the study recommended that editorial boards and the Nigerian Press Council mandate the inclusion of victim voices in crime reporting, that editorial committees and journalism associations diversify sources beyond law enforcement, and that the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and university communication departments promote media literacy programmes to sensitise the public on victim-centred reporting.

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