Passage Summary: The news talks about crime more these days, but it's not because there's more crime; it's because we like reading about it. The news basically just gives the people what they want.

Conclusion: The rise in media crime coverage is caused by increased public interest rather than an actual increase in crime.

Reasoning: Media outlets determine their coverage based on what their audience finds interesting.

Analysis: The statement about public interest serves as the core explanation for the phenomenon described in the first sentence. It is an intermediate conclusion: it is supported by the final sentence (the general principle about audience interest) and it supports the overall argument by providing the 'why' behind the change in coverage. Notice how the author uses 'because' to introduce this point and 'after all' to provide the evidence for it. This structure confirms its role as the primary claim being defended.