Media Influence on Citizen Attitudes Toward Police Effectiveness

Abstract

Employing the 1995 National Opinion Survey of Crime and Justice (NOSCJ), this study examines the effect that media consumption has on attitudes toward police effectiveness. Media consumption consists of hours of television viewing per week, regular viewing of crime drama and primary source of crime news. Employing OLS regression, the results indicate that none of the media variables are significantly related to attitudes toward police effectiveness. Moreover, the results indicate that age, race, income, fear of crime and perceived problems in the neighborhood are significantly related to perceived police effectiveness. In addition, the sample was divided into respondents with no police contact and those with police contact. For respondents with no police contact, the results indicate that none of the media variables are significantly related to police effectiveness. However, age, education, perceived problems in neighborhood, and fear of crime is significantly related to perceived police effectiveness. For respondents with police contact, the results reveal that hours of television viewing are positively related to police effectiveness. Respondents who watch increased levels of television are more likely to rate the police as ineffective. In addition, the results demonstrate that income, problems in neighborhood, and satisfaction with police contact are significantly related to perceived police effectiveness.

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