Police are hiring PR teams to make them go viral
If you’ve ever wondered why news media obsesses over shoplifting but ignores wage theft, or why news outlets report a “shortage” of prison guards without questioning why we imprison so many people in the first place, you’ve probably encountered copaganda.
This week on Power User, I spoke to award-winning civil rights lawyer and author Alec Karakatsanis about his new book, Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News. It completely changed the way I read and watch the news.
I think we’re all familiar with things like local news segments on crime, but Karakatsanis revealed so many insane new things about the entire police PR machine. Police are working with content creators, they’re hiring big time social media strategists to leverage viral videos, and they’re becoming experts at leveraging the internet and online attention.
Karakatsanis and I talked about how copaganda shapes literally every form of media in the U.S. and warps our perceptions of safety and justice. I talked about my own experiences in newsrooms too. Watch my new episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel!
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