NCJ Number
61084
Journal
Policy Studies Journal Volume: 7 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1978) Pages: 493-500
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE CURRENT SUPPLY OF NEWS ABOUT THE POLICE IS COMPARED WITH OTHER NEWS ITEMS, AND PATTERNS OF PUBLIC ATTENTION TO AND USE OF POLICE NEWS ARE ANALYZED.
Abstract
A YEAR-LONG CONTENT ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED OF NEWS IN SIX DAILY NEWPAPERS, THREE NETWORK NATIONAL NEWSCASTS, AND TWO LOCAL CHICAGO NEWSCASTS TO DETERMINE THE EMPHASIS GIVEN TO POLICE NEWS. IN ALL THE NEWS SOURCES EXAMINED, THE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUAL CRIMES FAR OUTRANKED REPORTING OF ASSOCIATED POLICE ACTIVITIES. NEWS ABOUT POLICE ACTIVITIES GENERALLY RECEIVED THE SAME COVERAGE AS 'RUN-OF-THE-MILL' NEWS, PROVIDING LITTLE INFORMATION TO ASSIST THE PUBLIC IN MAKING JUDGMENTS ABOUT THE POLICE. STORIES PROVIDING SUBSTANTIVE EVALUATIONS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE WERE ESPECIALLY SCARCE. NEWS ABSORPTION PATTERNS OF RESPONDENTS IN A PANEL STUDY SHOWED THAT INCREASED COVERAGE THAT WOULD FOLLOW CURRENT FORMATS WOULD NOT RAISE THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE POLICE. THE PANELISTS WHO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME AND FOLLOWED CRIME NEWS CLOSELY IGNORED MOST STORIES ABOUT THE POLICE, PARTICULARLY EVALUATIONS. THEY USED THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES AND CONDITIONED SOCIAL VIEWS AS PRIMARY SOURCES FOR EVALUATING POLICE PERFORMANCE. PANELISTS, AS WELL AS THE MEDIA, TENDED TO GIVE FAVORABLE EVALUATIONS OF THE POLICE. THE SCANTY MEDIA PRESENTATIONS AND DISTORTED PUBLIC ABSORPTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT POLICE PERFORMANCE ARE DISTURBING BECAUSE POLICE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND REALISTIC PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE ARE HINDERED. WHILE THE MEDIA IS RESPONDING TO A PUBLIC THAT LIKES TO BE ENTERTAINED RATHER THAN MAKE SERIOUS DECISIONS ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES, THE POLICE COULD HELP IMPROVE THE SITUATION BY PRODUCING MORE SUITABLE DATA FOR POSSIBLE USE BY THE MEDIA. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)