Open AccessSEARCHING FOR THE FORGOTTEN: EXAMINING THE ONLINE PRESENCE OF VICTIMS OF POLICE KILLINGS
Author(s) -
Jennifer Pierre,
Morgan Currie,
Britt Paris,
Irene V. Pasquetto
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
selected papers of internet research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2162-3317
DOI - 10.5210/spir.v2021i0.12225
Subject(s) - social media , homicide , criminology , perception , internet privacy , psychology , political science , suicide prevention , poison control , computer science , law , medicine , environmental health , neuroscience
This paper examines the potential role of social media in enhancingthe understanding and perception of victims of police killings and the data collectionsurrounding these incidents. Through a series of content analysis and social media miningexercises, the authors observe the emergence of three distinct types of social media contentoffered on victims of police killings: persistence of the deceased’s activity across socialmedia, sensational commentary on videos and blog postings, and memorials on Facebook,Twitter, and Tumblr. As part of a larger investigation of the availability and accessibilityof official police homicide data, this paper aims to present social media data as apotentially powerful source of information to supplement quantitative reports. This processmay be especially useful for the most affected communities, particularly BIPOCcommunities.