The media serves as the primary public source of crime information. Christie argues this is so because people do not interact to the extent they once did, leading to greater social alienation. This results in an increased reliance on media for updates and news on a local and regional level. It also means reliance on the state for coping with the perceived dangers. But if the state seems to fail in handling these matters efficiently, then the public often looks upon to populist forces beyond it which promise solutions.