A Study of Police Organizations & Media Relations
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The author(s) shown below used Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and prepared the following final report: Document Title: Media Power & Information Control: A Study of Police Organizations & Media Relations Author(s): Jarret S. Lovell Ph.D. Document No.: 197060 Date Received: October 24, 2002 Award Number: 2000-IJ-CX-0046 This report has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice. To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federally- funded grant final report available electronically in addition to traditional paper copies. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. PROPERTY OF National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Box 6000 Rockville, WID 20849-6000fl’. -- .. .- - MEDIA POWER & INFORMATION CONTROL: A STUDY OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONS & MEDIA RELATIONS Jarret S. Lovell, Ph.D. Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice 123 Washington Street Newark, NJ 07102 Submitted to: The National Institute of Justice 2000-IJ-CX-0046 GRP May 2001 *Award nomber&b0. -4from the Office of’Justice Programs,adern Nationil Institute of Justice, Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is amazing how many people were instrumental in creating this work, both hm its inception as an idea to its final andaompleted draft. As such, it is impossible to recollect all of the individuals whose unique input and support appear in the pages of this work. Nevertheless, several people and organizations in particular deserve special mention. The idea to study the influence of media on policing sternmed fiom many conversations and exchanges with Michael Maxfield, who guided me toward thinking about media as both an independent and dependent variable. I would like to thank him for helping me cultivate the ideas that ultimately became this research. I would also like to thank George Kelling - my dissertation chair - for encomghg this aspect of police research and for his enthusiasm regarding this project. Finally, I would like to thank Mercer Sullivan and Steven Chemak for their guidance, support, and insight as committee members. Justin Ready provided immeasurable input into the methods and mechanics of carrying out this research from design to analysis. His contributions are evident throughout this study. In addition, Sharon Chamard, William Sousa, and the entire student body in the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University provided editorial and substantive comments as well as fiendship and encouragement during this long process. Alan Futernick, Shirley Parker, Jean Webster and Sandra Wright provided helpful administrative assistance, as well as much needed encouragement throughout this arduous process. Kataryna Proszowski proved both a Siendly and valuable resource in 0 assisting me during the funding process, and I thank her for the patience that she instilled This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. .. 11 0 in me. And I am perhaps most fortunate to have had an invaluable resource in Phyllis Schultze, whose oversight of the Criminal JusticeMCCD Collection makes the library unlike any other. Moreover, her personal involvement in this project allowed for the cultivation of a great fiiendship. Of course, countless members of the law enforcement and media community were essential to understanding the nature of police-media relations. I cannot begin to express my appreciation and admiration for the thankless work that police officers perform, both on and off camera. I would like to thank the over 200 departments that participated in the survey, as well as the four departments that granted me complete and heaccess to their media relations offices and staff. While I am unable to mention the names of these departments or individuals, their community involvement extends beyond city limits and 0 will have an impact nationally. I must also thank Sara John,William Cheeks, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police - PI0 Section for endorsing this research. A thank you also goes out to all of the reporters, camera crews and news editors who agreed to speak with me - both on and “off’ the record - regarding the rewards and challenges of working the police beat. I would like to dedicate this research to all of my iiiends and family who never allowed me quit. In particular, Stephanie, Scott and Neda kept me laughing; Dana made me feel that my work was a reflection of a ‘unique’ and special individual, and Steve kept me sane enough to endure. My grandfather Irving provided much needed financial support, and he corrected people who assumed I was studying to be a lawyer. My aunt Bobby and uncle Ryan were my cheering squad on the West coast, while aunt Judy and uncle Bill were family, friend, mother and father on the East. Finally, I would be nothing This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. ... 111 0 today without the unconditional support of my mother. Over ten years ago, she gave me a card with the words, "you must not quit," printed on it. She told me to keep it in my wallet always, and to never forget its message. That card is still in my wallet today. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. iv ABSTRACT “Media Power” represents the extent to which individuals or groups influence the content of media messages relevant to their interests. As mass media are the primary image builders in contemporary society, an ability to shape the contents of media has become central to impression management and public relations. This research documents the extent to which police influence the image of law enforcement - “police performances” - through police media relations offices and public idonnation officers (PIOS). A questionnaire was distributed to municipal police departments nationwide to obtain general infomation regarding the nature and fkquency of police interaction, about the policies dictating police-media relations, and about police perceptions of their 0 department’s image within the news. A total of 255 surveys were distributed, yielding a response rate of 76% (1 94). Information garnered fiom survey data was used to identify four police departments that served as case studies for an understanding of the political and administrative context within which police-media relations occur. Each department selected differed fiom the others with regard to its media strategies, public information personnel, staff training in public relations, and perceived quality of its department’s media image. Approximately 100 hours of observation was conducted across all sites. Research findings suggest that the quality of a department’s media image has little to do with the municipality crime rate and more to do with how departments manage crime news and information. Specifically, departments that do not streamline public information through one official spokesperson only but encourage communication with a reporters at all ranks report a more favorable media image. Police training in television This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. V appearance skills is similarly significantly associated with a more favorable department image. Finally, the dynamics of police-media relations shift during times of police- involved accidents or scandal. Those departments more familiar with media formats and the news-making process are more adept at making potentially damaging news story quickly disappear. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. vi AUTHOR’S NOTE All participant quotes contained in this research have been documented in a manner that best represents the ideas expressed by the speakers. Nevertheless, statements do not always appear as direct transcriptions. Many views were expressed when verbatim i documentation was not possible. Such comments will be denoted as “author notes,” while transcribed statements will be indicated as “author interviews.” Information provided through open-ended questionnaire items will be denoted as “survey responses.” Further, repetitious words and stutters have been omitted hmrecorded statements for reading clarity and fluidity. Throughout, every attempt has been made to accurately reflect the meaning, language, and tone of the participants in this study. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S.