No good apple: Copaganda in media
September 22, 2020
That is the number of people murdered at the hands of police in 2019. Behind every one of these needless killings is a person who was failed in the most violent way possible by a system that was never truly designed to ‘serve and protect.’
The support that police departments receive comes from multiple sources. Not only do politicians traditionally laud the actions of the police, but departments also receive an immense amount of financial support, with many major metropolitan areas having between 20% and 45% of their budget going towards police departments.
One highly influential, and often more subtle, avenue of support that cops receive comes from the media. This is known as copaganda. Copaganda refers to the practice of shows, movies and news outlets portraying the police in an overwhelmingly positive light so as to favorably influence public opinion on the institution.
Though shows like “Law & Order,” “NCIS,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Criminal Minds” differ greatly in their delivery of different plotlines, they all promote fictionalized images of police officers as wholesome community figures, harmless oafs or flawed but ultimately righteous heroes. The dissemination of these messages acts as a protective measure against the very real damage that police enact on communities across the country.
Though copaganda is most commonly found in fictional shows and movies, its presence in mainstream news sources is broadening.
The timing of this particular wave of copaganda is nothing short of insidious. As the country experiences the largest movement against police brutality in its history, police departments across the country are ramping up their efforts to push the idea of ‘the good cop,’ a notion that is antithetical to both the history and current status of police.
Examples of pseudo-solidarity from the police are abundant. One recent example occurred in New York City during a protest in which police officers took a knee along with protesters. Not long after, that same group of officers teargassed, maced and arrested swaths of protestors.
Above all, copaganda works to obscure the violence inherent to policing. Neither in the virtue-signaling social posts, nor in the absent-of-fact shows about police departments, are viewers presented with the reality of police. There are no discussions on the police’s inextricable ties to enslavement. Shows like “Law & Order” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” do not find time to interpret the fact that as many as 40% of the police force carry out instances of domestic violence on their partners and children. Perhaps the producers and directors behind these shows thought it best to leave out how in 35 states, it is legal for police officers to have sex with people they have detained if they claim it was consensual. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the intentions of the police that officers make a career out of terrorizing low-income areas and neighborhoods that are predominantly populated by Black people and other people of color.
It would be remiss to believe that our social institutions are not heavily influenced by the past and that these systems do not continue to manifest new iterations of oppression that have been present for centuries.
The media’s benevolent relationship with copaganda is a decades-long affair, but it must come to an end. This is not a system that can be reformed, no matter how hard your favorite show is trying to convince you otherwise.
Vanessa • Sep 27, 2020 at 10:36 pm
You lost all credibility in the first sentence. 1099 senseless murders, more like 1099 killings of criminals who sought to take the lives of police or others in society along with a handful of unjustified ones. I urge you to actually watch bodycam footage and see for yourself how evil some people in this world are and what you would do when someone is actively trying to take your life. But no you probably wont, that will take you outside of your safe space.
Ron • Sep 24, 2020 at 1:58 pm
“Abolish” and “defund” police is an idea in vogue now in some quarters, including universities and among many privileged white liberals. Not, however, in the actual communities of the poor and minorities, who are the most frequent victims of violent crime…based on consistent polling results. The author suggests “reform” is impossible – I certainly hope not, because if there is no middle ground between the status quo and “abolish”, the status quo will win.
Larry Hubbard • Sep 24, 2020 at 9:43 am
I would argue that cops being lauded all the time in the media is overstating reality. In my teen years blockbuster movies like the Godfather and Serpico were not too kind to the cops. Scandals over the years have tainted many police departments and been been covered extensively..especially in NO. I believe of the 1000 murders you site probably hundreds could be prevented by reforming engagement protocols and mandatory training in deescalation and crisis intervention. The others are unavoidable. The biggest change will come when police departments are hit with huge settlements like the recent $20M Louisvile case. My youngest child is a policeman and I promise you he is a good apple. He was trained to be kind and professional to everyone he encounters. He has CIT training and uses it frequently in domestic calls. Some cops need to be fired and the immunity rules and the police union stragglehold on reforms need immediate attention. However one stat you left out is that people in high crime areas overwhelmingly want a well trained and responsive police presence. People who call 911 are not interested in theories like copaganda.
Gloria • Sep 24, 2020 at 9:02 am
I think that is very important to stay objective with topics like the one you present. Law enforcement is needed in every society. America would not be a thriving country/ economy if systems in place, including the police, did not have an influence and a vital effect in communities From the smallest most isolated towns you may imagine in Alaska to the biggest most populated cities – LA/NY police presence is needed, its a matter of life or death.
This is not a constructive idea you proposed, are we to not trust in the police any longer? Mainstream media isn’t building a narrative, furthermore, society at every level needs to encourage appreciation of those individuals who selflessly serve their government, in the same way, we pay respect to our arm forces.
Eric F. O'Neill • Sep 24, 2020 at 8:51 am
Rarely have I seen such a unique and wonderful display of the English language! An inspired satire of PC “woke” culture such as this deserves a special place in the Krewe d’Etat! Bravo! Oh… wait…
Larry Masters • Sep 22, 2020 at 3:23 pm
“Murdered by the police”. Poor choice of words. Killed by the police would be better. Murder is a legal term that implies criminality (and lack of justification). The vast majority of the police killings were justified. A smaller group were accidental, and smaller still were criminal killings (murder, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide depending on the jurisdiction).
If you are going to base the premise of your opinion on numbers, be accurate. You lost all of your credibility in the first sentence. Not all killings are murder, nor do they bear the same moral culpability. This true for civilians and police officers.