Analysis of Media Representation of Law Enforcement and its Impact on Police-Public Relations in Kenya During the 2024 G-Z Riots

• In Event: Media and social construction of crime III

Abstract

There has been extensive research on how the media represents the police. Several studies have examined public perceptions of law enforcement and the effectiveness of their public relations efforts in different contexts. However, relatively few studies have looked into how the media's portrayal of the police can shape public views on law enforcement and its effects on police-community relations. Research is particularly lacking in the African context, especially media coverage during public riots. This study uses print media representations of police during the 2024 Gen-Z riots in Kenya and aims to achieve three objectives: 1) to analyze the portrayal of police in Kenya's print media, 2) to assess public attitudes toward law enforcement in Kenya, and 3) to explore how media representation influences public perceptions of the police within the Kenyan context. Findings and implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Joselyne Chenane, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA.

• Hillary Chakava, Department of Media Technology and Applied Communication, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya.

• Rita Augustyn, Keene State College