Abstract

This article draws on race relations arguments to explore the nexus between the media, race, and protest policing. The media’s coverage of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and protests opposing COVID-19 restrictions bring to light differences in police intervention at these events. How the media portrays this apparent imbalance is the focus of the current study. Using news reports from major U.S. outlets (e.g., New York Times, Washington Post), we find that protests anchored to racial justice issues are more often framed as a threat to the public interests. Our results highlight the media’s role in promoting notions of racial threat and exacerbating state repression. We discuss the implications of these findings for constitutional rights, social control, and journalism.

摘要

本文利用种族关系的论点来探讨媒体、种族和抗议警察之间的关系。媒体对 Black Lives Matter (BLM) 的报道和反对 COVID-19 限制的抗议活动暴露了警察在这些事件中干预的差异。媒体如何描绘这种明显的不平衡是当前研究的重点。使用美国主要媒体（例如，纽约时报、华盛顿邮报）的新闻报道，我们发现以种族正义问题为基础的抗议更多地被认为是对公共利益的威胁。我们的结果突出了媒体在宣传种族威胁和加剧国家镇压方面的作用。我们讨论了这些发现对宪法权利、社会控制和新闻业的影响。