Advisor Information
Justin Nix
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
1-3-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
1-3-2019 10:15 AM
Abstract
Policing in the US has come under fire over the past few years due to highly publicized shootings of unarmed black citizens. These events have monopolized the media, which can potentially undermine their legitimacy in the public eye. Extant research has explored the traditional media- such as television news, crime dramas, and crime reality shows- on citizens’ attitudes toward the police, with decidedly mixed results. Given the rise of social media and concern of the potentially biased portrayal of police by such media sources, research is needed which can assess what, if any, effect social media has on individuals’ attitudes toward police. The current study seeks to fill this gap in the literature using a survey of students at a Midwestern university.
Public Perceptions of the Police: The Role of Social Media
Policing in the US has come under fire over the past few years due to highly publicized shootings of unarmed black citizens. These events have monopolized the media, which can potentially undermine their legitimacy in the public eye. Extant research has explored the traditional media- such as television news, crime dramas, and crime reality shows- on citizens’ attitudes toward the police, with decidedly mixed results. Given the rise of social media and concern of the potentially biased portrayal of police by such media sources, research is needed which can assess what, if any, effect social media has on individuals’ attitudes toward police. The current study seeks to fill this gap in the literature using a survey of students at a Midwestern university.