Exposure to Images of Police-Civilian Interactions and Public Opinion about Law Enforcement: An Experiment

• In Event: Public and Social Media Responses to High Profile Events

Abstract

Research indicates that people’s opinions of the police are affected by media representations of crime and law enforcement. The power of media to shape public confidence in the police was dramatically highlighted following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri when journalists produced a steady stream of images of police officers facing unarmed protesters with guns drawn. In this study, we draw upon framing theory and conduct an experiment to test how exposure to images of police interacting with civilians affects public opinion about and confidence in the police. We randomly assign participants to pictures of 1) officers greeting a civilian in a friendly manner, 2) officers frisking civilians against a wall, and 3) officers atop an armored vehicle pointing guns at protesters with their hands raised. Dependent variables include evaluations of national and local police, perceptions of police bias, and support for the police to use body-worn cameras and military-style equipment. We discuss the implications of these results for the relationship between the police and civilians in a free, democratic society.

Authors

• Kevin Wozniak, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Kevin Drakulich, Northeastern University

• Brian Calfano, Missouri State University