The public’s perception of policing and the evolution of media

This exploratory thesis in the style of a literature review examines the public perception of policing and what effects that perception, with a considerable interest in the under explored connection between media consumption and the public’s perception. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and explore what factors impact an individual’s perception of police- either positively or negatively- accounting for factors such as race, age, and consumption of media. This research is of incredible significance as it focuses on unique aspect of what contributes to the public’s perception of policing through a theoretical lens that merges traditional Criminal Justice theories with theories house within unorthodox explanations to discuss why and how the public is affected by what they consume. It has also become increasingly clearer throughout recent years that the public’s perception of policing has shifted significantly, likely negative, with the rise in movements such as “defund the police” indicating that something is fulling this phenomenon with this thesis exploring possible explanations for shifting opinions. The core research question can be stated simply as ‘what factors contribute to shaping the public’s perception of policing and why’. Due to the nature of this question the methodology of this research utilizes a merger of several theories into a literature review of relevant research papers discussing and exploring what impacts individuals’ opinions of police officers. This research is providing a unique look into the public's perception of policing while also utilizing an unconventional theory to underpin the importance of media consumption regarding this topic- a narrative and discussion that is of incredible significance when exploring further what impacts an individual’s perception of policing.