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Good Cop/Bad Cop: Mass Media and the Cycle of Police Reform
Good Cop/Bad Cop offers the first extended review of the influence of the mass media on local and federal law enforcement in the US. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach and drawing on popular characterizations of law enforcement from movies, newspapers, television, and literature, Jarret Lovell reveals police reform is inextricably linked to the rise and technological development of the mass media. He also shows how law enforcement officials exert a powerful influence on media coverage of crime and justice policies and practices. Data from the author's national study of police-media relations uniquely enrich the analysis.
Paperback
Published November 5, 2003
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August 2, 2023
This was a pretty interesting look at the rise of police reform and how it's driven by mass media. The first half of the book is really a history of mass media and policing. The reform part happens through a reflexivity loop. Police and the public each have an ideal officer type. For police, it's the "good cop" type who isn't held back by regulations and civil rights. He's a crime fighter and gets the job done, unlike regular patrol officers. When misconduct happens, the public are outraged, and critical sources like the mass media hone in on police malfeasance. This forces police to reflect on their actions and make changes. For example, when the New Jersey highway patrol was accused of racial profiling, the state installed dash cams.
There is good info here. The history around the rise of policing and mass media was interesting but I would have liked to see more explicit examples of the reflexivity loop in action. Also, I would have liked to see a more explicit explanation about the connection between officer types and the reflexivity loop.
It is a source from the 90s/2000s so a little dated but still very useful for thinking about the problematic relationship between mass media and police.
It was a quick read and pretty accessible.
There is good info here. The history around the rise of policing and mass media was interesting but I would have liked to see more explicit examples of the reflexivity loop in action. Also, I would have liked to see a more explicit explanation about the connection between officer types and the reflexivity loop.
It is a source from the 90s/2000s so a little dated but still very useful for thinking about the problematic relationship between mass media and police.
It was a quick read and pretty accessible.
Displaying 1 of 1 review