Ep. 54: Local "Crime" Reporting as Police Stenography
Added 2018-10-17 15:34:22 +0000 UTC"The suspect fled on foot, police said. Call this number if you have any information." "The incident took place at the 1200 block of Grove." "Police say." "Police sources are telling us." "Suspect is thought to be armed and dangerous."
We’ve all heard this type of Official Copspeak before. The local press dutifully informs us about "suspects" and "gang members" and "burglars." They're infiltrating our neighborhoods, rampaging through our streets, climbing in our windows. The police, of course, are just doing their part to keep us safe. Local media and community-based message boards they pander to read like police blotters. "Dial 1-800-985-TIPS for your friendly neighborhood detective!"
But what if publishing police department press releases isn't really journalism, but rather free public relations for an already extremely powerful, routinely violent, often corrupt and deeply conflicted institution? What if the genre of so-called “crime’ reporting is inherently reactionary and the whole enterprise of how we think about “crime” needs to be deconstructed and reconsidered?
On this week’s episode, we discuss why local "crime" reporting widely suffers from racist tabloidism and what overworked and under-resourced journalists can do to gather information from sources that don't wear badges.
We are joined by Chicago-based activists Sharlyn Grace and Malcolm London.
Guests
Sharlyn Grace is an attorney and founding member of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, where she currently serves as co-executive director.
Malcolm London is an internationally recognized Chicago poet, activist, organizer, educator and musician. Follow him @MalcolmLondon.
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Show Notes
Publishing Police Press Releases as Local ‘Crime’ Reporting
Adam Johnson | October 10, 2018 | FAIR
Why (And How) Block Club Chicago Covers Crime
Block Club Chicago | October 12, 2018 | Medium
The Criminalization of Gentrifying Neighborhoods
Abdallah Fayyad | December 20, 2017 | The Atlantic
Latest Spike Lee Joint: Paid NYPD Consultant
Zolan Kanno-Youngs | August 16, 2018 | The Wall Street Journal
The chief wanted perfect stats, so cops were told to pin crimes on black people, probe found
Charles Rabin, Jay Weaver & David Ovalle | July 12, 2018 | Miami Herald
The Problem With Community Policing
Abolition Research Group | October 8, 2017 | A World Without Police
Is Facilitating a Paid Informant Program Part of Journalism’s Job?
Josmar Trujillo | September 20, 2017 | FAIR
Employers steal billions from workers’ paychecks each year
David Cooper & Teresa Kroeger | May 10, 2017 | Economic Policy Institute
Cops rarely punished when judges find testimony false, questionable
Steve Mills & Todd Lighty | May 6, 2016 | Chicago Tribune
Media Convicts Scores of ‘Gang Members’ on NYPD’s Say-So – No Trials Necessary
Adam Johnson | May 2, 2016 | FAIR
The Hard Truth About Cops Who Lie
Robert Lewis & Noah Veltman | October 13, 2015 | WNYC
December 2017 | Gallup
New Yorkers Back 'Broken Windows' Policing, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds
May 13, 2015 | Quinnipiac University
After a Peek at the Police Dept., a Thanks With a Check
Michael Schmidt | April 26, 2010 | The New York Times
Objectivity is dead, and I’m okay with it
Lewis Wallace | January 27, 2017 | Medium
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Resources
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Transcript
For a full transcript of this episode, go here.
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Comments
The idea that police-force managers can manipulate the deployment of resources -- and consequently newspaper/media coverage is an insightful reversal of cause and effect.
Marc Mayerson
2018-10-18 03:31:43 +0000 UTC
