Covering local law enforcement operations has been increasingly difficult following the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, the national decline in newsroom resources and the acceleration of social media criticism aimed at reporters on the beat, veteran Philadelphia criminal justice reporter Kristen Johanson said.
“It’s shocking; I can’t believe we’re all still here,” the KYW News Radio reporter told journalists at the Crime Coverage Summit hosted by the Radio Television Digital News Association and the National Press Foundation. “We need journalists. I know the struggle is real.”
The relationship between the police and press has changed dramatically over time, with reporters now increasingly questioning law enforcement’s tactics and response to crime. For instance, the initial police report on George Floyd did not mention use of force. Reporters – and now the Department of Justice – confirmed that Texas authorities changed the story multiple times in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.
“I want to say, back 20 years ago, everything they (police) said was gold,” Johanson said. “I think the police definitely used – and the Philadelphia Police Department at that time – definitely used the media to convey their own message of, ‘Here’s what we’re doing to combat crime in the city.’”
Cellphone, dashcam and bodycam video as well as public witness reports on social media have influenced media coverage in recent years.
Kristen Johanson, Photo by: BP Miller/Chorus Photography
For reporters, Johanson said, the current relationship requires careful and regular tending and sometimes educating newsroom managers about the realities on the ground.
“Try and just tell the story without any emotion involved and it’s such a hard job,” Johanson said. “I’ve been labeled both pro-cop and anti-police. I’ve been labeled everything and I’m like, ‘well, I guess if you can’t figure it out, world, I guess maybe I’m doing an OK job.’”
Access the full transcript here.
Crime Coverage Summit 2024: Beyond ‘If It Bleeds, It Leads’ was sponsored by Arnold Ventures and hosted by NPF and RTDNA. NPF is solely responsible for this content.
