NCJ Number
53921
Date Published
1976
Length
376 pages
Annotation
PRIORITIES FOR COVERAGE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT NEWS AMONG CITIZENS, POLICE OFFICERS, AND MEDIA PERSONNEL IN THE ST. LOUIS, MO., METROPOLITAN AREA ARE ANALYZED.
Abstract
STUDY SUBJECTS WERE 146 CITIZENS FROM 2 COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA, 60 OF THE 68 POLICE OFFICERS SERVING THESE COMMUNITIES, AND 33 EMPLOYEES OF NEWSPAPERS, RADIO STATIONS, AND TELEVISION STATIONS IN THE AREA. SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO RANK A SERIES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT-RELATED STORY DESCRIPTIONS IN TERMS OF THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR MASS MEDIA COVERAGE. MEDIA PERSONNEL WERE ALSO ASKED TO RANK THE STORY DESCRIPTIONS AS THEY WOULD EXPECT CITIZENS AND POLICE TO RANK THEM. ALL SUBJECTS WERE ASKED THEIR VIEWS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT NEWS COVERAGE. THERE WAS A HIGH, POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE RANKINGS OF CITIZENS AND THOSE OF POLICE, BUT VIRTUALLY NO CORRELATION BETWEEN RANKINGS BY MEDIA PERSONNEL AND RANKINGS BY POLICE AND CITIZENS. MEDIA PERSONNEL WERE INACCURATE IN PREDICTING THE RANKINGS OF CITIZENS. MEDIA PERSONNEL PERCEIVED LITTLE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THEIR OWN NEWS PRIORITIES AND THOSE OF POLICE BUT PERCEIVED A HIGH DEGREE OF SIMILARITY BETWEEN THEIR OWN PRIORITIES AND THOSE OF CITIZENS. MEDIA PERSONNEL PERCEIVED LITTLE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE PRIORITIES OF CITIZENS AND THOSE OF POLICE. ALL THREE GROUPS GAVE HIGHER PRIORITY TO CRIME-RELATED STORIES THAN TO SERVICE-RELATED ITEMS, ALTHOUGH THIS TENDENCY WAS MOST MARKED AMONG MEDIA PERSONNEL. MEDIA RESPONDENTS CORRECTLY EXPECTED BOTH POLICE AND CITIZENS TO CONSIDER CRIME-RELATED ITEMS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SERVICE-RELATED ITEMS. MEDIA PERSONNEL GAVE HIGHER PRIORITY TO ITEMS UNFAVORABLE TOWARD THE POLICE, INDICATING THAT SUCH COVERAGE EXPOSES POLICE WRONGDOING AND FULFILLS THE TRADITIONAL WATCHDOG FUNCTION OF THE PRESS. POLICE AND CITIZENS EMPHASIZED ITEMS FAVORABLE TO THE POLICE, NOTING THAT SUCH ITEMS GIVE CREDIT TO POLICE FOR EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE. THE STUDY UNCOVERED DIFFERENCES OF OPINION BETWEEN POLICE AND MEDIA PERSONNEL ON SEVERAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT WORKING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. UNLIKE MEDIA PERSONNEL, POLICE CONSIDERED MEDIA COVERAGE OF POLICE ACTIVITIES TO BE UNFAIR. POLICE AND MEDIA RESPONDENTS DISAGREED OVER WHO SHOULD HAVE FINAL AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN ITEM IS PRINTED OR BROADCAST. POLICE THOUGHT THAT AN OFFICER WHO GIVES AN UNAUTHORIZED TIP TO A REPORTER SHOULD BE DISCIPLINED, THAT THE NEWS MEDIA PAY UP POLICE MISDEEDS, AND THAT REPORTERS DO NOT ACCURATELY REPORT INFORMATION GIVEN THEM BY POLICE. MEDIA PERSONNEL DISAGREED ON ALL THREE POINTS. SUPPORTING DATA, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND COPIES OF STUDY INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)