Inside ‘Copaganda’: Alec Karakatsanis on media, policing and public perception

This Is Reno publisher Bob Conrad speaks with civil rights attorney and author Alec Karakatsanis about his book “Copaganda.” The talk was one of The Radical Cat bookstore’s author talks and was streamed by Radical Cat online Thursday, Feb. 18. 

The conversation explores how police public relations efforts shape mainstream news media narratives, influence public perception of crime and impact policy decisions at local and national levels.

From killings by police to body-worn cameras and expanding surveillance technology, this show covers the intersection of journalism, police propaganda and accountability reporting. Karakatsanis discusses what he calls the “punishment bureaucracy” and offers recommendations for journalists and citizens seeking to critically evaluate police activity.

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1. What is “Copaganda”?
Karakatsanis defines “copaganda” as messaging that narrows the public perception of safety and threats, amplifies fear of certain crimes and populations, and promotes policing and incarceration as main solutions. He argues that media framing focuses on street crime while overlooking corporate misconduct, environmental harms and systemic issues. 

2. Media framing and police narratives
The conversation discusses journalist responsibilities when covering police activity. Conrad shares examples from Reno where local reporting of police activities is either scant or favors government narratives. Media outlets may rely heavily on police press releases, leading to uniform coverage across platforms. The discussion also covers national coverage following protests in 2020 and how news media characterized police actions as “missteps” rather than systemic issues or criminal actions.

3. Body-worn cameras and transparency claims
The pair also discuss body-worn cameras. Karakatsanis argues that these devices were promoted as accountability tools but are frequently used in low-level prosecutions and plea-bargaining processes.

Karakatsanis and Conrad also talk about surveillance systems such as license plate readers, ShotSpotter and integrated camera networks. Karakatsanis questions whether such technologies address root causes of crime, emphasizing broader structural factors like inequality, housing access and healthcare.

4. The “punishment bureaucracy”
Karakatsanis explains his use of the term “punishment bureaucracy,” which he uses instead of “criminal justice system.” He argues that the phrase better captures the interconnected institutions involved: police, prosecutors, courts, jails, prisons, probation systems and private industries tied to incarceration.

5. Academic Copaganda
The conversation also covers academic research and public policy. Karakatsanis critiques certain studies advocating increased police staffing, arguing that research framing and messenger credibility can influence public debate. He provides book recommendations for listeners seeking more on the history of police.

6. Local Reno issues and public records
Conrad closes the conversation with examples from Nevada, including challenges in obtaining unredacted body-worn camera footage. He references litigation related to officer image redaction under Nevada’s Peace Officer Bill of Rights and the Nevada Supreme Court’s decision to uphold redactions.

The episode concludes with reflections on the role of independent local journalism in scrutinizing official narratives.

This summary was generated with the assistance of AI and edited by us.