Policing the Police: Examining the Role of News Reports on Racially-Biased Policing

40 Pages Posted: 18 Jul 2022

See all articles by Uttara M Ananthakrishnan

Uttara M Ananthakrishnan

Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy

Jason Chan

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management

Yicheng Song

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management

Date Written: July 1, 2022

Abstract

One of the most acute social justice problems in the United States is the direct conflict between police and minorities. Media coverage of police brutality instances not only allow such inequitable practices come to light, but is an important step towards the reform of inappropriate policing. However, it is theoretically unclear whether the reporting of excessive use of police force on minorities can have a tangible impact on subsequent policing outcomes. In this paper, we aim to answer the question of whether and how digital news on police brutality is effective in shaping subsequent police actions. To address this question, we construct a cross-sectional dataset of news reports of police violence and police traffic stop records. Under a difference-in-difference framework, we find that news reports on police brutality reduces police stops of minorities. Additionally, we find that news with sad frames are more effective in effectuating change in policing behaviors. Finally, we learn that the impact of news reports are less effective in minority-dominated areas and high-crime areas.

Keywords: police brutality, local news, digital news, accountability

Suggested Citation

Ananthakrishnan, Uttara M and Chan, Jason and Song, Yicheng, Policing the Police: Examining the Role of News Reports on Racially-Biased Policing (July 1, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4152235 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4152235

Uttara M Ananthakrishnan (Contact Author)

Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy ( email )

5000 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
United States

Jason Chan

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management ( email )

19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States

HOME PAGE: http://carlsonschool.umn.edu/faculty/jason-chan

Yicheng Song

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management ( email )

19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.yichengsong.com/

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