Copaganda: The Media Origins of Perceptions of Policing in America

• In Event: Policing

Abstract

Despite widespread evidence of police misconduct, most Americans continue to hold very favorable views toward law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Why? One potential explanation is the widespread consumption of police procedural television programs that tend to feature one dominant narrative: police officers are heroic figures who single-mindedly pursue justice, quell violent crime, protect the public from predators, and root out corruption in their own ranks. Using a variety of national surveys and Nielsen data, we first establish the robust correlation between exposure to these shows and attitudes about policing. We then use survey experiments to probe the causal impact of entertainment media and potential mechanisms.

Authors

• Eunji Kim, Columbia University

• Tyler Thomas Reny, Claremont Graduate University

• Esteban Fernandez, MIT