Mass Communication Research Methods  

The effects of mass media 
on the public’s perception of 
police brutality 
 

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons 

 
 
 
Zila Sanchez, Iyanna McAllister, Fairriona Magee, and Vanessa Delgado 
Spring 2019 

 
 

 
Background 
Police brutality in this country has had many faces throughout the decades that it has

been an issue that the American people have had to confront. One of the faces that it has always

had is targeting people of color and allowing them to feel marginalized by a facet of society that

is ultimately supposed to serve and protect. The history of police brutality spans a few decades in

this country. The first time the word, “Niga” appeared in the American Press was in 1872 in

reference to the reported beating of a civilian by the police. The inception of 'present day'

policing dependent on the expert of the state is normally followed back to improvements in

seventeenth and eighteenth century France, with current police divisions being built up in many

countries by the nineteenth and mid twentieth hundreds of years (Palmer). Instances of police

severity seem to have been successive at that point, with "the routine beating of nationals by

patrolmen furnished with nightsticks or blackjacks” (Davis, 1994). Large-scale episodes of

mercilessness were related with work strikes, for example, the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, the

Pullman Strike of 1894, the Lawrence material strike of 1912, the Ludlow slaughter of 1914, the

Steel strike of 1919, and the Hanapepe slaughter of 1924. Bits of the populaces may see the

police to be oppressors. Also, there is a discernment that casualties of police mercilessness

frequently have a place with generally weak gatherings, for example, minorities, the

handicapped, the youthful, and the poor.

At the point when the United States was framed, it was considerably less blended than it

is today regarding ethnicity and culture. Around the mid 1800's, critical measures of outsiders

started to move into the nation. This convergence carried on for some time and still happens

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today just with a lot littler numbers. With this vast blend of individuals, bias and loathe

wrongdoings were normal. By the mid-nineteenth century, the crumbling of urban areas had

prompted diverse laws that directed open conduct just as made new open organizations including

the police constrain. Notwithstanding, this partition made a division between the law authorities

and subjects too. In actuality, we are eventually left with racial, social, and ethnic profiling.

Streak forward to the mid 1900s, where urban areas like Chicago have been experiencing official

lack of interest and conceal managing police ruthlessness. In 1969 Black Panther pioneers were

murdered amid a police strike (Davis, 1994). An open objection that came about because of this

prompted a Federal Civil Rights examination. Despite the fact that proof demonstrated that the

police discharged in excess of 90 shots to one by the Panthers, they were not prosecuted but

rather the two gatherings were similarly accused. This decision thus prompted further shock,

especially from the African American people group.  

 
Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Attitudes Toward Police 
In an era of community policing, it is necessary to consider how the public perceives the

police and police services using measures reflecting the paradigm of policing. ​Researchers

consistently find a racial gap in attitudes toward law enforcement. Neither the police nor the

communities they serve are racially or ethnically similar. Despite this fact, racial problems

involving the police are often cast in terms of a predominantly white police force and a

community that is predominantly African American and Latino. The racial divide between police

and citizens of color is evident not only in academic studies, but is evident on the streets of many

communities and is reflected in countless interactions involving the police (Eschholz, 2006).

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Compared with whites, Black communities generally have less positive attitudes toward

the police and this is most often attributed to the differential nature of citizen–police interaction

experienced by them. It has been suggested that the media play an important socializing role, in

the form of “vicarious” police contacts, in generating attitudes toward police. It has been

theorized that watching television news as well as “reality” crime programming, such as ​COPS

and ​America's Most Wanted​ increased the racial divide in attitudes toward police (Eschholz,

2006). ​Black and Hispanic motorists are significantly more likely to be subjected to personal

and/or vehicle searches during traffic stops, but are they more likely to be found in possession of

contraband (Engel).

It was hypothesized that respondents with greater stakes in their communities would

report more satisfaction with community-policing services (Schafer, 2003), meaning the more

value a community has, the more they are likely to depend and receive policing well. Still, this

relies heavily on the influences a group has had toward policing.

Generally, the variance in race, gender, socio-economic status, and political views

d​emonstrate the need for multidimensional constructs of police services and highlight important

dimensions of public perceptions of community policing.

 
Hostile Media Perception: News Outlets 
​As social media platforms and technological advances continue to change mainstreams

trajectory into the new age of digital convergence, many partisans are left fringing on their own

divergent views and the skepticism of brighter outcomes when it comes to police brutality. In

recent years of coverage, along with the evolution of backpack journalism, outrage and distrust

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have seeped into the hearts and minds of many minorities. Lack of proper protocol, negligence,

and obscene footage has spawned a recent divide in what was once an honorable/reputable

organization into a malevolent force that seems to have no enthusiasm in slowing down.

1) Hostile media perception is the proclivity at which partisans calculate media coverage

as unsatisfactory in theory to their own convictions. This differentiation in bias is compelling

because it contradicts literature on assimilation bias. Assimilation bias is the notion of finding

information more complementary rather than antithetical to one’s personal beliefs.

Coverage of such disturbing footage seems to be more favorable on certain outlets which

further intensifies the bias and prolongs in certain instances the call for help/justice. The

frequency at which killings have been occurring recently has sensationalized police brutality to

somewhat of a new norm. Collectively, the outcomes have been horrendous in relation to

killings, but the bias of partisans and there being a divide is still heavily prevalent. Some feel as

though the killings were justified and warranted for protocol, while other partisans feel as though

protocol was breached. This constant tug of war and societies aim to frame police is a positive

light has a nation divided on the prevalence of integrity and the sheer dexterity of doing the right

thing even when it comes to the convictions of the officers in hand.

2) More compelling, albeit still anecdotal, evidence is provided when we catch glimpses

of divergent responses by opposing partisans to the same media coverage--specifically, when

both sides agree that coverage was biased, but disagree strenuously about the direction of such

bias.

More compelling than partisans having such biases, are when there is no agreeance on the

direction in which the bias stems from. One partisan will view such mishaps on racial profiling,

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while the other on circumstance. One partisan may contend the police officer was just doing their

job, while others may think officers have power- complex issues which make them feel that they

are above the law and will be granted impunity.

 
Hostile Media Perception: Social Media 
Over the years, police brutality has always been an issue in the unethical and excess force

used by authority. However, in the last decade, the rise of social media has had a major impact

on just how much of the crime we see and are exposed to. It seems like a lot more of the hate

crimes are taking place in today’s society, but is it really? Some people think that it’s not

necessarily more of these crimes going on but social platforms are exploiting it more. A study on

the public view of police officers was recently done within the past couple of years. The

hypothesis was that social media has had an impact on the public perspective on police officers,

whether negative or positive. The results showed that people initially didn’t have any negative or

positive feelings about police brutality when they first heard about a story. However, the more a

story they saw of, the more they started to gain negative feelings about police officers, and the

more their perception started to change (Chermak, 2006). Police brutality stories seemed to kick

off the movement of people starting to record incidences that they encounter with those of the

opposite race.

From there, The media seems to have a new story on police officers using excessive

force, sometimes that force being fatal, on a minority race every other week. In the world of

media, they way news stories are structured, they put more emphasis on stories and issues that

need urgent attention, meaning more coverage (Weitzer, 2002). More media attention influences

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the fear of crimes (Callanan, 2011). In this case, that would lead to more fear of police officers

the more police brutality cases are covered. This entails that with police brutality becoming a

rising issue, more emphasis will be placed on it in the media. 

 
Research Questions and Hypotheses
H1. Exposure to police brutality on social media is positively associated with the negative

attitudes toward police.

H2. The more one is involved with the police, the more one would perceive police brutality

videos are hostile to him/her.

H3. Having friends or family in the police force will influence people’s perception of police

brutality

H4. Having friends or family in the police force influence people’s hostile media perception

toward coverage of police force.

 
Research Method 
For this particular study, a random sampling poll was conducted to ensure the validity

and reliability of the research. Thirty participants were recruited at random on the campus of

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and agreed to fill out a questionnaire

on social media as it correlates to police brutality. It was important to keep the sample random so

that the data recorded was unbiased and as accurate as possible. Some of the demographic

features shared amongst participants are:

● They are all students at N.C. A&T University.

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● They live in the same state which is governed by the same laws and regulations.

● They are between the ages of 18-25.

These aspects are important to keep in mind because they are structure for the framework

with analyzing the data as a collective. The correlations and demographics may impact the data

once finalized.

We walk up to random people and ask them if they have a moment to take a quick

survey. Fill out the piece of paper without writing their name on it, answering as honest

as possible and hand it back. The survey takes approximately 3-7 minutes. It will be taken

in the form of pencil and paper. No compensation will be provided in turn for filling out

the survey.

The variables in the study include the variation in individual type of media consumed

(social media vs. television) and the specific source of news outlets (Fox vs. Vice). In addition,

variables may include people’s preconceived notions of police brutality and the policing methods

employed by police departments. The ways those variables will be measured will include a

questionnaire asking the participants whether their use of media has influenced their outlook of

policing and police brutality. Along with asking the participants if their consumption has

impacted their perspective of police brutality, the questionnaire will ask them how much

influence media has had on their look. Though there have been similar studies done, one key

difference with this study compared to all other studies is it is inclusive of all media, as it

includes television, social media and newspapers. Other studies only research the consumption of

television and its influence in the views of policing (​Callanan, 2011)​.

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Questionnaire:

1. How old are you?

2. What is your gender?
3. What is your classification?
4. Approximately how much time do you spend on social media every day?
5. Approximately how much time do you spend reading or watching the news every day?
6. How often do you see videos describing police brutality on social media?
7. Do you have families or friends working in the police force?
8. Are you personally a victim of police brutality?
9. Do you have families or friends who’ve ever been a victim of police brutality?
10. Please let us know how you think the way the social media videos portrays police
officers' practice in this country: Social media videos I have seen ignore the right of
police officers.
11. Current US news coverage on police brutality presents police officers in a negative
manner.
12. Most people working in the US news media belong to social groups that are hostile to
victims of police brutality.
13. Current US news coverage of police brutality presents police as primitive.
14. Most police officers are biased and do not care about the communities they serve.

 
Results 
The questionnaire was conducted between April 5 through April 8, 2019. The results yielded

for descriptive statistics -- as it correlates to hostile media perception -- that on average the

participants did not report a biased media perception (N = 29, M = 4.14, SD =.96), as when they

were asked whether media portrayed police force in a biased way/as primitive/in a distorted

way/hostile toward police force, the average answer falls between neutral and disagree.

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Continuous results as it relates to descriptive statistics and biased police conveyed that on

average the participants (N= 30, M= 3.53, SD= 1.61) as they were asked if the police were

biased and did not care about the communities that they serve. H1: A correlation test was

conducted and the result suggested the two factors are not significantly correlated. H2: A

correlation test was conducted and` the results suggested the two factors are not significantly

correlated. These findings were based on the small sample size acquired for the questionnaire. 

Discussion 
Our findings showed a few different patterns and as this study continues. We believe that

our study will show us more data that correlates with our hypotheses. Our study was conducted

in such a short time span. A large percentage of our study did not spend too much time on social

media, as they fell in the 0-2 hour range and the 3-5 hour range. The small portion of the study

that did spend 6 or more hours on social media is small and I believe that when the study is

expanded than we will be able to find more positive correlations. Ultimately, our findings proved

that there was no significant correlation found between the exposure of police brutality and the

perception of the police. Our study also proved that there is no significant correlation regarding

the more interaction an individual has with the police, then they will be believe that social media

videos of police brutality is hostile to them. 

This study conducted tried to link the usage of social media and the consumption of mass

media to the public perception of police brutality. Hypothesis 1 (H1) proposed that the more time

people spent on social media, the more likely they perceive police force in a negative way.

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Hypothesis 2 (H2) proposed the amount of time people watched or read the news, the more

likely police were viewed in a negative way.

A narrative found in the portion of the literature review has been theorized that watching

television news as well as “reality” crime programming, such as ​COPS​ and ​America's Most

Wanted​ increased the racial divide in attitudes toward police (Eschholz, 2006). ​Black and

Hispanic motorists are significantly more likely to be subjected to personal and/or vehicle

searches during traffic stops, but are they more likely to be found in possession of contraband

(Engel). This relates to this study as the consumption of mass media has had a part -- at the very

least -- with the relatable interactions of police.

Still, it is more than just the consumption. The coverage plays a part, too. ​ In the world of

media, they way news stories are structured, they put more emphasis on stories and issues that

need urgent attention, meaning more coverage (Weitzer, 2002). More media attention influences

the fear of crimes (Callanan, 2011). In this case, that would lead to more fear of police officers

the more police brutality cases are covered. This entails that with police brutality becoming a

rising issue, more emphasis will be placed on it in the media.

The practical implications of our study are geared towards people who fight against victimization

in all industries and forums, even if it's politicians, police officers, or government officials. It is

imperative that we as a collective hold ourselves accountable when these extreme cases emerge,

so that in the future, proper justice is carried out. Our research is significant because it provides

insight to the variances of demographics and the nature of the audience hostile media perceptions

reach via media platforms. Hopefully, research will be a pivotal tool to aid in statistics allowing

more gaps and bridges to alleviate the stresses that we are currently facing due to lack of

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communication, awareness, and solutions. As further research is conducted since this was a

random sample survey our implications will project that more research needs to be carried out to

factually inform the public just how big of an impact social media has on the human psyche.

The survey sample size was one limitation for this paper. We used a small sample size

due to the limited amount of time provided to conduct it, therefore we could not get a more

accurate sample. The specificity of the questions was another limitation that we could have done

better. All of our questions could have been narrowed down and broken into three sub-questions,

and the questions could have been more precise and direct. The time limit on the project was

another conflict that we ran into. We had limited time to conduct our actual data

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