News Media Framing of Police Body-Worn Cameras: A Content Analysis

• In Event: Big Data and Crime Prediction

Abstract

Body-worn cameras (BWCs) are recommended as a tool to increase departmental transparency and perceptions of police legitimacy. Explaining departmental policy decisions to the public is a key component of police legitimacy, and news media is the main conduit for such dissemination. Therefore, it is essential that police practitioners understand how news media are framing police and BWCs. Content analysis was conducted on newspaper articles from six newspapers spanning a four-year time period (May 2012 to May 2016). 819 articles from the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post were coded using five established media frames: conflict, human interest, attribution of responsibility, morality/accountability, and economics. Results show an increase in articles reporting on BWCs and police following the events of August 2014 in Ferguson, MO, and that conflict (57%) was the most prevalent frame, followed by attribution of responsibility (51.8%), and morality/accountability (51.6%). Results also show an increase in articles mentioning police and BWCs following critical incidents involving police. These findings may inform police practitioners how newspapers are framing BWCs, allowing police departments to better tailor their media releases to clearly and concisely communicate their desired message to the public.

Authors

• Carolyn Naoroz, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Hayley Cleary, Virginia Commonwealth University