Media and public perceptions of the police: examining the impact of race and personal experience

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of crime-related media consumption on individuals' opinions of the police. Using a statewide survey of 4245 California residents, three aspects of police performance – confidence in the police, police fairness and police use of excessive force – were regressed on multiple forms of media. The results suggest that viewing television news and crime-based reality programmes significantly increases confidence in the police. Interactions with arrest, crime victimisation and race were also examined. Victims and those with an arrest experience were not affected by crime-related media consumption, suggesting that first-hand experiences with crime were more important than the media in shaping individual's opinions of the police. Consumption of crime-related media increased confidence in the police among White respondents, but had no effect on Latinos or African-Americans.