Censored 2016 argued that the corporate media ignored the story “Who Dies at the Hands of US Police – And How Often.” The story covered how often law enforcement in the US use lethal force compared to other nations. The story also examined compared the racial disparities of law enforcement victims in the US nd abroad. Since April 2015 issues of police violence have received diverse media coverage, ranging from corporate media outlets attempting to cover stories that justify police behavior to independent media outlets which shame police for abusing their power.
Censored 2016 argued that the story of “Who Dies at the Hands of US Police – And How Often” was ignored by the corporate press. The story explained that U.S., police officers are 100 times more likely to kill citizens than policemen in other capitalist nations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) compiles annual statistics for homicides committed by police, they are all registered as, “Justified killings Huff). Censored went on to note that the killings are not racially equal. African Americans killed by police in the US are twice as likely as whites to be unarmed.
Since April of 2015, the independent media has covered the realities concerning police violence, but the corporate press has ignored them. For example, in June 2015, independent outlet The Guardian, conducted investigations founding that, “Black Americans are more than twice as likely to be unarmed when killed during encounters with police as white people.” Other independent outlets are calling for a broadened discussion about how women, especially females of color, are impacted by police violence. Meanwhile, corporate news coverage
The corporate media coverage of police violence has sought to justify police behavior. The conservative corporate press outlets such as Fox News and the New York Post have argued that police violence is spurred the media’s discussion of police abuse. In fact, they argue that it the discussion of police violence is problematic because it has led to a drop in recruitment and moral among police.
Since April of 2015 there has been an influx of articles regarding the topic of police violence. However, only the independent media outlets have discussed how issues of poverty, racism, inequality and a problematic justice system contribute to police abuse. The corporate media outlets have used their coverage to defend the police from accountability by justifying their behavior.
Student Researcher: Graham Herder
Faculty Evaluator: Nolan Higdon
California State University, Maritime Academy
