NCJ Number
87969
Editor(s)
C Sumner
Date Published
1982
Length
128 pages
Annotation
The British media face conflicts with the police, courts, and other agents of government over access to information and type of coverage. These articles examine these and other contemporary media issues.
Abstract
The close relationship between the criminal courts and the mass media has evolved over the years to become one in which the media have the right but not the duty to cover proceedings, thus allowing the media to ignore the consequences of its publicity. Criminal justice professionals' privacy and security concerns have prevented passage of necessary freedom of information legislation. Even though police have become more open with journalists in recent years, they often use this tactic in an attempt to gain control over the media. Police should understand the media's influence on their work by examining the recent Toxteth riots in low-income areas of London and the Northern Ireland conflict. Television's coverage of crime and policing as well as the media-social work relationship are also explored. References accompany some of the articles. For individual articles, see NCJ 87970-73.