Holding the Blue Line in Australia

This book examines the portrayal of contemporary policing in New South Wales, Australia by mainstream media and how its sourcing of social media influences public opinion. The observable and measurable consequences of this intermingling of news content with viewpoints is that mainstream media, in tandem with social media, influence political leaders to respond and pivot readily towards platformed views with either quick reactions through policymaking and new or revised legislation; or arbitrarily, letting matters slide. The phenomenon is analysed through specific case studies in the book and the complications for police media and crisis management are identified. This extensive research has relevance for policing globally because mainstream media relies heavily on social media content that is instantaneous, global, curated and reliant on marketable and readily understood narratives. The book analyses the selective process by which actors in mainstream media construct news relying on prior framing, narratives and perpetuating the received opinion of social media, as if it represents general belief. Media framing disrupts and interrupts public understandings of the role of policing and perpetuates misunderstanding in the public arena of the institutional values and legislated responsibilities of a police force. In addition, strategies employed by social media activists to frame and re-contextualise crisis events impact on police law enforcement operations and can hamper police capacity to respond to protect public safety.