What Impact Does Media Have On Citizens's Perception Of The Police

In April of 1635, Boston enables the first law enforcement system, “the night watch.” This police force governed the 13 colonies and the officers were volunteers, meaning they were not receiving pay (National Law Enforcement 2014). Throughout the years, police officers have been at the forefront in confrontation among civilians. Their practices and policies have always been held under a microscope and analyzed to see if they are performing their duties humanely and safely. The Media in the past few decades has grown stronger and holds up the law enforcement mistakes for all to see. The more drama and mistakes made, makes for a better news segment. The question that needs to be asked is what kind of impact does the Media have on citizen’s perception of the police? Variables that have an impact on the perception of the police include race, socioeconomic status, gender, age, past experiences and upbringing. The literature reviewed in this paper targets juvenile and college populations. As the population in America rises, as will the number of Police Officers needed to keep the law. With more citizens and more police officials interacting, the more confrontation will occur.

With the Medias growing power and coverage of events, they can hold a lot of sway with civilians on what they choose to have as their focal points and what facts they choose to leave out. The media has the power to twist and cloud facts. However, if the research shows that the Media has a negative impact on young people’s view of the police, there are many other factors that contribute to the negativism. The research focuses on juveniles, which may not represent college students