The Role of the Media in the Creation of Public Police Violence

Abstract

The process by which incidents of police violence come to public, governmental, and police attention, and the reactions by various actors in these groups, consists of a complex web of responses, reactions, consequences, effects, and implications, hereafter labeled "outcomes." Central to this process is the role of the mass media. Police violence can be thought of as similar to Freud's characterization of the mental process whereby 10 percent is conscious or above the surface, and 90 percent is unconscious or below the surface. The majority of police violence takes place beyond the knowledge of the public; only a small percentage of such activities become public knowledge.

Through a review of the literature and series of interviews conducted with police and crime reporters, editors and producers, police public affairs personnel, and other actors in the criminal justice system in Denver, New York City, and Toronto, I developed a model of the process by which information on police violence is transformed into articles in the press and stories that are broadcast on radio and television.

Keywords: mass media, police violence, police-media relationship, outcomes, crime reporting, police public affairs personnel, Denver, New York City, Toronto, Canada,

JEL Classification: H79, H89, K14, K19, K39, K49