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What is the Impact of Media on Views of the Police?²⁷

A 2018 study reported in the journal Deviant Behavior examined the impact of various types of media consumption on views of police. A sample of 245 students from a large midwestern university were surveyed. Students were asked how much time they spend per week: (a) watching local television news; (b) watching national television news; (c) watching television crime shows (such as Criminal Minds); (d) reading a local newspaper; (e) using social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram); and (f) reading news online. To measure views of the police (police legitimacy), the students were asked about their level of agreement or disagreement with numerous statements: (a) you should accept police decisions even if you think they are wrong; (b) you should do what the police tell you to do even if you disagree; (c) it would be hard to justify disobeying a police officer; (d) overall, the police are generally honest; (e) people’s basic rights are well protected by the police; (f) most police officers do their job well; (g) the police usually make decisions that are good for everyone; and (h) the police treat everyone equally regardless of their race. To take into account other factors that may influence attitudes toward the police, respondents were also asked their race, age, prior personal and vicarious contacts with the police, perceptions of neighborhood problems, and degree of self-control.

The researchers found that students who spent more time reading news online had more negative views of the police and, surprisingly, students who spent more time using social media had more favorable views toward the police. Most importantly, the researchers also found that media exposure had the strongest effects on attitudes toward the police for individuals without personal experiences with the police.²⁸ The authors argue that people may substitute media representations as a basis for their attitudes when personal experiences are missing. While the study is not without limitations (for example, the researchers only asked about time on social media, not about time spent reading police-related stories on social media), the study shows how media may influence attitudes toward the police.