Last night, @ambermruffin did this. Of course, there is so much...
Michael Harriot@michaelharriot
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Aug 25, 2025
~5 min read
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Last night, @ambermruffin did this.
Of course, there is so much more to the phenomenon called copaganda, so...
A thread.
Of course, there is so much more to the phenomenon called copaganda, so...
A thread.
7:44
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First, let's start with the obvious. Is copaganda real? does itt influence how you view the police?
Think back to when you were arrested. Oh, that didn't happen? Oh, that's right. Most Americans don't have contact with police. And when they do, it's usually a traffic stop.
Think back to when you were arrested. Oh, that didn't happen? Oh, that's right. Most Americans don't have contact with police. And when they do, it's usually a traffic stop.
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So, what shapes your perceptions of the police?
Well, there are numerous studies that show that when people who haven't had significant contact with police think about cops, their perceptions are based on what they've seen in the media they consume.
frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…
Well, there are numerous studies that show that when people who haven't had significant contact with police think about cops, their perceptions are based on what they've seen in the media they consume.
frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…
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Another study found "viewing television news and crime-based reality programs significantly increases confidence in the police," and "Consumption of crime-related media increased confidence in the police among White respondents, but had no effect on Latinos or African-Americans."
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One of the biggest influencers on Americans' perception of police is the police procedurals like Law & Order, CSI, etc. That's not my opinion. I just read studies by people who actually know things:
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To understand where this came from, let's go back to 1948 when crime was low; racism was high &, if you saw a police officer on TV, they were usually portrayed as bumbling idiots or detectives who smoked Marlboros and wore trenchcoats
In 1949, a washed-up radio actor had an idea
In 1949, a washed-up radio actor had an idea
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Instead of a murder mystery or a cops & robbers show, he wanted to do a radio show about rank & file officers. The radio network hated the idea...Until the LAPD chief signed on with one condition:
The show had to portray officers in a positive light, as heroes.
It was a hit!
The show had to portray officers in a positive light, as heroes.
It was a hit!
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The radio's broadcast network had recently entered the television market & wanted to make their radio hit into a TV show. But the old LAPD chief had retired & the new chief signed on. Why?
The LAPD needed PR help bc ppl thought they were racist and violent (shocking, right?)
The LAPD needed PR help bc ppl thought they were racist and violent (shocking, right?)
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In 1951, just before 8 LAPD officers were indicted for corruption & police brutality, the National Broadcast Network (NBC) debuted the 1st episode in the genre now known as the police procedural
Dragnet was the template for every cop show you've ever seen
theatlantic.com/culture/archiv…
Dragnet was the template for every cop show you've ever seen
theatlantic.com/culture/archiv…
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And, because of how the police procedural shapes how we view police, it may be the most important television series ever.
For instance, cops don't have to read you your rights before they arrest you. It's something people think because of TV shows.
For instance, cops don't have to read you your rights before they arrest you. It's something people think because of TV shows.
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But one of the biggest misconceptions is that cops protect us from rampant crime.
Just this past October, 74% of people told Gallup pollsters that there was more crime in America than there was a year ago. Except, here’s the thing: That is absolutely not true.
Just this past October, 74% of people told Gallup pollsters that there was more crime in America than there was a year ago. Except, here’s the thing: That is absolutely not true.
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Let's be clear, police have an effect on crime rates but crime is actually more tied to economic opportunity, earnings and education than policing. When the economy collapses, crime increases.
Just compare the murder rate to the median wages over the last 30 years:
Just compare the murder rate to the median wages over the last 30 years:
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And here's the thing.
Most crimes go unsolved! Only 2% of serious crimes result in a conviction. In fact, in the last 25 years, there’s only been 1 year when police cleared 50% of violent crimes; in 1999, when Cash Money took over for the nine-nine & 2000.
Most crimes go unsolved! Only 2% of serious crimes result in a conviction. In fact, in the last 25 years, there’s only been 1 year when police cleared 50% of violent crimes; in 1999, when Cash Money took over for the nine-nine & 2000.
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The only place crime is going up is on TV.
Last year, one out of every five scripted shows were police procedurals–nearly half of the top 15 scripted shows on TV.
That's why people believe crime is going up & police are the only ones who can solve this problem
It's copaganda
Last year, one out of every five scripted shows were police procedurals–nearly half of the top 15 scripted shows on TV.
That's why people believe crime is going up & police are the only ones who can solve this problem
It's copaganda
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But of course, cops need to do their job, and it's dangerous being a cop.
Yes it is. Not as dangerous as being an uber driver or a garbageman, though. Remember NWA's lesser hit song: "Fuck the Garbageman?"
You don't.
ishn.com/articles/11274…
Yes it is. Not as dangerous as being an uber driver or a garbageman, though. Remember NWA's lesser hit song: "Fuck the Garbageman?"
You don't.
ishn.com/articles/11274…
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That's because cops in training have to devote 5x more hours practicing to shoot people than they spend on the actual law. They LITERALLY spend as much time learning how to respond to mental health crises as they spend learning how to use a stick (they call it "baton training")
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That's why they shoot more Black people every year than cops are shot by ANYONE–even though WHITE PEOPLE SHOOT MORE COPS.
What does copaganda have to do with that?
Well, 63% of television crime victims are white but the thugs are always Black. (Yes, there's a thug database.)
What does copaganda have to do with that?
Well, 63% of television crime victims are white but the thugs are always Black. (Yes, there's a thug database.)
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Guess who's writing these roles, though?
A study by the organization Color of Change found that 81 percent of the showrunners and 86 percent of the writers on TV crime dramas are white. 20 of the 26 shows examined by Color of Change either had 1 Black writer or none at all
A study by the organization Color of Change found that 81 percent of the showrunners and 86 percent of the writers on TV crime dramas are white. 20 of the 26 shows examined by Color of Change either had 1 Black writer or none at all
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But you can't just blame white dudes;
If you read the credits for most police procedurals, you might wonder why they almost always list a “technical consultant.” The little-known secret is that almost every police procedural has a law enforcement officer advising the show.
If you read the credits for most police procedurals, you might wonder why they almost always list a “technical consultant.” The little-known secret is that almost every police procedural has a law enforcement officer advising the show.
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The technical advisor for Law & Order and Blue Bloods was a NYPD detective. Law & Order SVU’s technical advisor worked on the show while he was still an NYPD police inspector! In fact, AH Parker, the LAPD chief who oversaw the police scandal, was Dragnet's advisor for years.
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And there's nothing wrong with authenticity. But in the 1974 the US GOVERNMENT advised police departments to start aggressively pushing this perspective & used TV shows to promote this agenda.
For instance, 94% of segments on the last year of COPS ended in arrest.
For instance, 94% of segments on the last year of COPS ended in arrest.
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WHy does this matter?
Because it's hard to understand why police stop more Black drivers, search more Black drivers & patrol black neighborhoods more even though it is an UNEQUIVOCAL FACT that white people use more drugs and are more likely to have contraband...
Because it's hard to understand why police stop more Black drivers, search more Black drivers & patrol black neighborhoods more even though it is an UNEQUIVOCAL FACT that white people use more drugs and are more likely to have contraband...
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Unless you know about copaganda.
You can't understand why that lady locked her door, grabbed her purse and called the cops to report a "suspicious looking" person in her neighborhood unless you watch copaganda and know that "suspicious" is a code word for "Black"
You can't understand why that lady locked her door, grabbed her purse and called the cops to report a "suspicious looking" person in her neighborhood unless you watch copaganda and know that "suspicious" is a code word for "Black"
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And it's hard to explain how so many people can see videos, statistics, and evidence of police brutality and corruption but still resist reforming the police & the criminal justice system.
Unless, of course, you know about the 60-year-old marketing campaign called copaganda.
Unless, of course, you know about the 60-year-old marketing campaign called copaganda.
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That's how we got here.
