The politics of force
Subtitle: media and the construction of police brutality
By: Regina G. Lawrence.
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2000
Place of publication: Berkeley
Language: eng
Number of pages: 254
Subjects: Police in mass media; Police brutality
Description: Lawrence extensively analyzes more than 500 incidents of police use-of-force covered by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times from 1981 to 1991. The incidents include but are not limited to those defined as "police brutality". Lawrence reveals the structural and cultural forces that both shape the news and allow police to define most use-of-force incidents, which occur in far greater numbers than are reported, she says. Lawrence explores the dilemma of obtaining critical media perspectives on policing policies. She examines the factors that made the coverage of the Rodney King beating so significant, particularly after the incident was captured on video. At the same time, she shows how an extraordinary news event involving the police can become a vehicle for marginalized social groups to gain entrance into the media arena.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-240) and index.