NCJ Number
31048
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1975) Pages: 425-433
Date Published
1975
Length
9 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF AN ATTITUDE SURVEY OF PRESS REPRESENTATIVES, POLICE, AND COURT PERSONNEL UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE AREAS OF CONFLICT IN IDEOLOGICAL ORIENTATION AND OPINIONS ON NEWS FLOW BETWEEN POLICE AND THE MEDIA.
Abstract
THE HOSTILITY BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND THE POLICE HAS BEEN NOTED IN MANY SOURCES. THIS SURVEY SOUGHT TO EMPIRICALLY TEST THE NATURE AND DEGREE OF THIS HOSTILITY. THE COMMUNITY STUDIED WAS BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, A CITY OF 40,000 PERSONS. A SAMPLE OF 21 PRESS REPRESENTATIVES, 60 POLICE OFFICERS, 11 COURT PERSONNEL, AND 4 PROBATION/ PAROLE PERSONNEL WERE SURVEYED. THE STUDY TESTED TWO SETS OF HYPOTHESES. THOSE RELATED TO IDEOLOGY WERE THAT JOURNALISTS HOLD MORE 'LIBERAL' VIEWS THAN POLICE AND THAT OFFICERS WILL RANK HIGHER ON SOCIAL ISOLATION SCALES THAN DO JOURNALISTS. IN CONNECTION WITH NEWS FLOW, FIVE HYPOTHESES WERE TESTED CONCERNING THE SOURCES OF NEWS INFORMATION, CENSORSHIP, AND THE EFFECT OF JOURNALISTS AND POLICE ON EACH OTHER'S JOB PERFORMANCE. THE STUDY REVEALED MUTUAL HOSTILITY BETWEEN THE PRESS AND THE POLICE. JOURNALISTS DID SHOW SOMEWHAT MORE LIBERAL ATTITUDES THAN POLICE. CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, JOURNALISTS SHOWED A MARKEDLY HIGHER LEVEL OF SOCIAL ISOLATION THAN POLICE. POLICE REPRESENTATIVES SUPPORTED OFFICIAL CHANNELS OF INFORMATION AND POLICE CONTROL OVER DISPUTED AREAS OF PUBLICATION, WHILE JOURNALISTS OPPOSED POLICE CENSORSHIP AND BELIEVED IN THE VALUE OF UNOFFICIAL NEWS TIPS.