ABSTRACT
This chapter employs a telephone survey to examine viewers' estimates of the prevalence of crime as a function of media exposure to fictional and reality-based police programming. Prevalence was operationalized in terms of the estimated percentage of Caucasians and African-Americans who have or will be involved in violent or drug-related crime. The chapter examines differences in estimated prevalence for Caucasians versus African-Americans. It predicts stronger effects of reality-based rather than fictional police programming partially on the basis of the perceived realism of the program types. The chapter supports the idea that exposure to reality-based police programs is associated with higher estimates of crime prevalence, and particularly so for estimates of crime prevalence among African-Americans. It examines the idea that exposure to reality-based police programs influences viewers' beliefs, an alternative interpretation may be that viewers' beliefs influence media selection. The chapter suggests strongly that additional attention needs to be given to media influences on racial perceptions and stereotyping.
