ABSTRACT
Despite the sometimes rancorous relationship between members of law enforcement and the media—misunderstanding on both sides—the news media plays an integral role in the function of a free society. The media, through print mediums such as newspaper and magazines and through video and the Internet, informs the public of local, regional, and national news and events. In this manner, they serve to inform, and to help safeguard, the public. Agency news releases, publication of the FBI’s Top Ten wanted fugitive list, and television shows such as America’s Most Wanted utilize different forms of media to alert the public to wanted persons, and regularly result in their apprehension as a direct outcome of public involvement.
