Poster #21 - Bad Boys: Policing, Protest, and the Public Eye

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

There is limited research that examines the television show Cops to understand the relationship between media and crime. Yet, there is no research that analyzes the potential intersection of Cops and social movements. The current study engages with this by examining whether the Black Lives Matter movement influenced the way in which the television show Cops portrays policing surrounding the cancelation of the show from June 2020 to October 2021. This study is a content analysis of the 75 episodes of Cops leading up to the cancellation and the 75 episodes of Cops after the cancellation. Analyzing these episodes allows for any potential patterns in the representation of how policing is depicted in Cops prior and after its hiatus. Ultimately, this study aims to highlight the ways that reality television shows portray police actually alter the public’s perceptions on policing and whether this portrayal furthers stereotypes. The implications this study has for policies and offers suggestions for further research into media and policing will also be discussed.

Author

• Rachel LaPointe, The University of Alabama