“There’s a Camera Everywhere”: How Citizen Journalists, Cellphones, and Technology Shape Coverage of Police Shootings

Abstract

Through the lens of gatekeeping, this study examines how an evolving technological landscape influences the way television news journalists cover the issue of deadly, highly-publicized police shootings in the United States. Through 10 in-depth interviews of television news journalists, the author analyzes how social media, cellphones, and citizen journalists shape this narrative. Themes include a change in speed and accessibility, accuracy, and a multi-layered challenge to police authority. Practical and theoretical implications on the future digital landscape covering this topic are discussed.