2007-09-20 10:58:47 · 7 answers · asked by Shontia B 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
No. Because leaving key facts out and playing others up makes a more interesting story fro them. A media outlet's primary duty is not to the truth, it's to sell advertising; to make money. Most of the time, a story with all of the information is just not that exciting.
It's not unlike what happens here in Yahoo Answers, such as a title for a question saying: Poor college student gets tazered for asking a question at a peaceful rally.
A question like that is dishonest at the outset and biases the reader before they even hear what happened.
2007-09-20 11:03:35 · answer #1 · answered by gunsandammoatwork 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
In many cases, the media do not honestly portray the use of force used by law enforcement officers, because all that is shown is the use of force, and not the events that led up to the use of force.
The UF case is a case in point. The video fails to show the kid's behavior that raised the police's attention in the first place. Not only that, but from the camera's angle, it is impossible to see the kid actually struggling so hard it took six officers to hold him down.
And apparently, many people cannot figure out for themselves that if it's taking six cops to hold one kid down, it's time for the taser or the pepper spray, whichever one is more easily available at the time.
2007-09-20 11:17:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, they don't. They don't show the entire film that leads up to the use of force. They only show the segment that shows a bunch of people scuffling about and punches being thrown, etc. One legitimate reason, I guess, if you are inclined to argue a point to death, is time constraints placed on network news to produce the video equivalent to a sound bite. To me, that is, at best, shoddy and incomplete news casting. In reality, I think it is a conscious decision to show the most inflammatory bits and pieces possible to heighten interest and increase ratings.
2007-09-20 11:07:06 · answer #3 · answered by claudiacake 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the media's portrayal of law enforcement's use of force is honest. If it's captured on film, then there's no denying it happened. But to assume that it's used in every law enforcement function is not right. Many times you don't see a "perp" spit on or attack a law enforcement officer - you just see an officer shooting a "victim".
2007-09-20 11:06:51 · answer #4 · answered by ►solo 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No I dont think they do, for many reasons, some even touched upon here. What really concerns me though is the idiots who say stuff like
"And apparently, many people cannot figure out for themselves that if it's taking six cops to hold one kid down, it's time for the taser or the pepper spray, whichever one is more easily available at the time."
Six cops on ONE kid and you think its ok to ALSO use a tazer or pepper spray??? YOU IDIOT THATS EXCESSIVE FORCE!!! If you have one cop with his knee on your neck trying to cuff you and you cannot even breathe, if you try to move so that you CAN breathe, you should get tazered or sprayed? OK MORON!
2007-09-20 13:35:02 · answer #5 · answered by Marco S 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I don't think that they do.
They don't understand it, so they can't really portray it honestly. Not to mention, that there is no story in an "appropriate use of force" incident.
2007-09-20 11:02:02 · answer #6 · answered by Citicop 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Every time someone gets shot or tazed by the cops it's a news story - never mind that some people SHOULD be tazed or shot - or BOTH!
2007-09-20 11:01:59 · answer #7 · answered by Dave 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋