JOURNALISTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE POLICE AND THE JUDICIARY

• NCJ Number: 53052
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 51 pages
• Corporate Author: American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

THE ATTITUDES OF REPORTERS ASSIGNED TO POLICE AND JUDICIAL AFFAIRS WERE EXAMINED IN THIS 1977 SURVEY OF POLICE AND COURT REPORTERS AND MANAGING EDITORS OF 62 CANADIAN NEWSPAPERS.

Abstract

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE JOURNALISTS AND THE POLICE WERE OPEN AND POSITIVE AND WHETHER THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION HAD CHANGED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. IN OCTOBER 1977 QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 106 CANADIAN NEWSPAPERS. OF THIS GROUP 62 NEWSPAPERS REPLIED. OUT OF A TOTAL OF 400 QUESTIONNAIRES DISTRIBUTED, 159 (FROM 24 FEMALE, 134 MALE, AND 1 UNSPECIFIED) RESPONDENTS WERE RETURNED. RESULTS OF THE SURVEY REVEALED THAT JOURNALISTS HELD THE FOLLOWING OPINIONS: (1) POLICE OVERNIGHT OCCURRENCE LOGS ARE NEVER MADE AVAILABLE TO ALMOST A THIRD OF THE GAINING ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND RESPONSIBLE RESPONDENTS; (2) A MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS THINK THAT THE POLICE DELIBERATELY WITHOLD INFORMATION FROM THE MEDIA WHEN POLICE FORCE MEMBERS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED; (3) RESPONDENTS EXPERIENCE MORE DIFFICULTY GAINING ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND RESPONSIBLE PERSONS WITH THE CANADIAN FEDERAL POLICE THAN THEY DO WITH PROVINCIAL OR MUNICIPAL POLICE; (4) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS AND THE POLICE FORCE IS FRIENDLY AND POSITIVE; (5) MOST JOURNALISTS THINK THAT THE POLICE REALLY DO CARE ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF ORDINARY CITIZENS; (6) MOST REPORTERS THINK THAT PRINTING OR BROADCASTING THE NAMES OF PERSONS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY CREATES AN ASSUMPTION OF GUILT IN THE PUBLIC MIND; (7) PUBLICATIONS BANS REGARDING COURTROOM PROCEEDINGS ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT; (8) MORE THAN 1 IN 10 OF ALL RESPONDENTS THINK THAT THE JUDGES ARE HOSTILE TOWARDS JOURNALISTS; (9) ALMOST 2 OF EVERY 5 RESPONDENTS FEEL THAT POLICE CONSTABLES ARE HOSTILE; (10) OVER ONE-THIRD OF THE RESPONDENTS THINK THAT JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN THE ORDINARY CITIZEN IN A COURT OF LAW; AND (11) ALMOST 1 IN EVERY 5 RESPONDENTS HAS SOME SPECIAL OR FORMAL TRAINING IN LAW. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. THE DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON THE RESPONDENTS ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MLC)