The media plays a critical role in offering public knowledge regarding crime and justice. Crime talks are available in all forms of popular media sites, such as television broadcasts, films, newspapers, and magazines. Research shows that the public’s perception of a law enforcement body, criminal offenders, deviants, and the victims of criminal offense is largely influenced by their portrayal of popular media (Dowler, 2003). With this regard, it can be concluded that the popular media plays a significant role in coming up with the modern crime-fighting myths developed by various psychologists and authors.
Media provides continuous coverage of sensational criminal acts and how the police respond to such incidences. This results in various reactions from various stakeholders, depending on whether the portrayal is positive or negative. For instance, if the media display a case where the crime is on the rise while the police appear relaxed, it raises public concerns. This taints the police image. Consequently, the government will act, and the police will take the necessary action to protect their image. As a result, the police will tighten the security, and the rate of criminal acts reduces. When the popular media displays the police as an essential body in offering protection, the public feels well-protected. The citizens respond friendly to the police force. A good relationship between the police and the public enhances police fight against crime. For instance, the public cooperates well with the police and offers vital information, thus facilitating the police fight against criminology.
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Studies indicate that the popular media often exaggerates its portrayal on the police crime-fighting. Most authors argue that television broadcasts often display crime as being significantly more random, violent, and dangerous than it is experienced in the real world (Dowler, 2003). The media keeps criticizing the way the police act towards criminal acts. This creates mixed and unnecessary reactions from the general public. The coverage of sensationalistic and terrible criminal acts on television creates more fear to the public than rather than a feeling of aggression (Dowler, 2003). For instance, most of the illegal activities displayed by the media indicate the absence of the police. As a result, the public feels that the police are not taking their duty seriously. Subsequently, there arises a conflict between the law enforcement body and the public, as the public may assume that the police support criminal acts. In this way, popular media affects the police to fight against crime negatively.
It is a common phenomenon to see the media report police shootings without indicating the actual reason for the firing. For example, on August 6, 2019, it was published that the police were involved in the murder of a schoolteacher in Township, Pennsylvania (Peeples, 2019). In such a case, the author fails to indicate the reason behind the police shooting. It later turned out that the headteacher had pointed a gun to the police. Peeples (2019) also reports that a police officer was involved in shooting and injuring a 15-year-old boy in Henderson, Nevada (Peeples, 2019). By reading this news, the public may portray the police shooting as an unfair act, yet the boy had a weapon and was involved in an attempted robbery case. Therefore, the police portrayal of news media is more fictional rather than it is in the real world situation.
There are, however, many situations in which the media portray police officers as crime-fighters. For instance, the media may cover only the incidences in which the police are involved in a successful fight against crime. This creates a force sense of security for the public. With such, the audience develops a significant trust in the police. The main reason why the media may choose the police as crime-fighters is to establish a mutual relationship with the law enforcement body (Dowler, 2003). The media relies on the police for the provision of quick and reliable information regarding crime and justice. The police, on the other hand, need media to protect their public image. Besides, the press needs police for the provision of security during its various operations. Therefore, the media portray police officers as crime-fighters to offer the cops with a positive public image so that the police may, in turn, provide the media with credible crime information and get enough security support during its various operations.
There are two significant types of a crime-fighter image of the police; the positive and the positive pictures. Each of these two crime-fighter images of the police has its reputations. When the police are involved in heinous acts, the public responds through demonstrations. For example, on July 15, 2019, police had a hard time in controlling a group of raged demonstrators following the shooting of Harith Augustus by a Chicago Police officer ( Guarino, 2018 ). Such police confrontation with the public escalates tension and destroys the relationship between the police and the public. As a result, people fail to cooperate with the police in giving the cops relevant information regarding criminal activities (Dowler, 2003). Consequently, the negative police image to the public hinders police fight against crime.
When the police have a positive crime-fighter image, the public develops a positive attitude towards the law enforcement body. The public views the police officers as friends and of importance to them. As a result, the public cooperates well with the police, become ready and willing to provide the police with all the crucial information regarding criminal activities (Dowler, 2003). Besides, the public may offer to help the police in pursuing criminal offenders, hence fostering the police fight against criminology. A right crime-fighter image of the police, therefore, plays a critical role in making the police work simple and effective.
References
Dowler, K. (2003). Media Consumption and Public Attitudes toward Crime and Justice: The Relationship between Fear of Crime, Punitive Attitudes, And Perceived Police Effectiveness Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture , 10 (2): 109-126.
Guarino, M. (2018). Protests in Chicago continue after officials release video of a police shooting: The Washington Post. (Online). Retrieved October 20, 2019; from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hundreds-protest-in-chicago-over-police-shooting/2018/07/16/08276a88-8960-11e8-85ae-511bc1146b0b_story.html
Peoples, L. (2019). What the data say about police shootings. (Online). Retrieved October 20, 2019; from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02601-9
