Giving Reporters “News that’s Fit to Print”: Opportunities for Influencing Public Attitudes About Police Legitimacy and Crime

• In Event: Police-Community Partnerships and Attitudes

Abstract

Attitudes about police legitimacy and perceptions regarding public safety are shaped not only by direct experience, but also through indirect mechanisms like local news reports. Crime reporters get much of their information directly from the police, however, highlighting the importance of police communications. The present study examined a mode of communication that has received little research to date: electronic press releases or flash alerts. Content analysis with 1,222 press releases issued by the Portland Police Bureau revealed that most alerts (55%) addressed a single criminal event, with violent, gun, and gang related incidents receiving disproportionate coverage. Eight out of ten press releases led to reports on the area’s major electronic news site (OregonLive.com) and 41% were covered in the largest newspaper (the Oregonian). In most cases reporters did little more than minor editing before claiming the original press release as their own work. These findings revealed an inherent contradiction for a police agency whose stated mission is to, “Reduce crime and the fear of crime.” At the same time, the results highlight a growing opportunity for law enforcement to shape public perceptions by communicating more strategically with news organizations that are struggling to generate fresh content with declining resources.

Authors

• Kris Henning, Portland State University

• Laura Shaver, Portland State University