UNESCO’s Brasilia Office launches study on police blogosphere
10-11-2009 (Brasilia)
Publication cover
© UNESCO
An unprecedented study on the increasing use of blogs to publish analysis and comments related to public security has been prepared by the UNESCO Office in Brasilia in cooperation with the Centre for Studies on Public Security and Citizenship (CESeC). Entitled The Police Blogosphere in Brazil: from Shooting to Twitter, the study goes beyond journalistic reporting, and analysis blogs published by security agents themselves.
Coordinated by two CESeC researchers, Silvia Ramos and Anabela Paiva, this publication is the first in-depth analysis of the most recent and relevant trend in journalistic reporting on police, criminality and security policies. The collection of information and the blogs’ analysis were done through an Internet survey answered by 73 police bloggers, authors of 70 blogs, between May and June 2009.
In their testimonies the interviewed policemen stated that in the past security agents had almost no participation in the discussions about “police” and “policemen”. According to them, the debates on these issues had involved only communication professionals and public authorities.
This scenario has changed with the emergence of blogs on security and with the opening of spaces dedicated to issues that are rarely tackled by the traditional media. Wage policy and work conditions of police forces are among the topics commented by the agents on the Internet, which rarely or never appear in newspapers.
The study by UNESCO and CESeC reveals that, among the analysed blogs, only 12 were created in 2006 or before. This data shows that the phenomenon is particularly recent and is growing: from January to early August 2009 15 new police blogs were created. Based on this increase, the research assesses that the journalistic sites are only the most visible part - though smaller and perhaps less important - of police blogosphere.
Apart from work conditions, other sensitive issues like human rights, judicial investigations, community projects and abandoned law suits are frequently referred to and highlighted in the blogs. “How could it be conceived that fundamental human rights, such as the assemblage right, are repressed in times of peace under the pretence of preserving hierarchy and discipline?”, inquire the authors of the blogs who attribute the opening of their pages to a “repressed demand”.
The authors of the study found in the posted messages that the blog owners fear retaliations. 27 out of 73 interviewed bloggers said they had been censured and repressed, while the threats of imprisonment and forced transfers are mentioned in 26% of answers.
The study, however, reveals that authorities had already perceived the importance of the phenomenon: High Commanders from the Military Police of Goias and Rio de Janeiro already maintain institutional blogs, the initiative that shall be followed by the Commander of São Paulo. The Military Police of Sergipe has just launched its blog.
By launching this new publication, UNESCO expects to promote the debate about freedom of expression, one of the fundamental values it defends The Director of the UNESCO Brasília Office, Vincent Defourny, believes that this publication will have an important role in the formulation of security policies that favour the culture of peace. “The study presents a concrete contribution towards a public sphere capable of pushing forward a reflection on highly relevant policies for the promotion of a culture of peace and, as a result, for the reduction of violence,” he says.
The research undertaken by UNESCO’s Brasilia Office and CESeC is the first in a series of debates on communication and information. The full study, in Portuguese, can be accessed here.
In their testimonies the interviewed policemen stated that in the past security agents had almost no participation in the discussions about “police” and “policemen”. According to them, the debates on these issues had involved only communication professionals and public authorities.
This scenario has changed with the emergence of blogs on security and with the opening of spaces dedicated to issues that are rarely tackled by the traditional media. Wage policy and work conditions of police forces are among the topics commented by the agents on the Internet, which rarely or never appear in newspapers.
The study by UNESCO and CESeC reveals that, among the analysed blogs, only 12 were created in 2006 or before. This data shows that the phenomenon is particularly recent and is growing: from January to early August 2009 15 new police blogs were created. Based on this increase, the research assesses that the journalistic sites are only the most visible part - though smaller and perhaps less important - of police blogosphere.
Apart from work conditions, other sensitive issues like human rights, judicial investigations, community projects and abandoned law suits are frequently referred to and highlighted in the blogs. “How could it be conceived that fundamental human rights, such as the assemblage right, are repressed in times of peace under the pretence of preserving hierarchy and discipline?”, inquire the authors of the blogs who attribute the opening of their pages to a “repressed demand”.
The authors of the study found in the posted messages that the blog owners fear retaliations. 27 out of 73 interviewed bloggers said they had been censured and repressed, while the threats of imprisonment and forced transfers are mentioned in 26% of answers.
The study, however, reveals that authorities had already perceived the importance of the phenomenon: High Commanders from the Military Police of Goias and Rio de Janeiro already maintain institutional blogs, the initiative that shall be followed by the Commander of São Paulo. The Military Police of Sergipe has just launched its blog.
By launching this new publication, UNESCO expects to promote the debate about freedom of expression, one of the fundamental values it defends The Director of the UNESCO Brasília Office, Vincent Defourny, believes that this publication will have an important role in the formulation of security policies that favour the culture of peace. “The study presents a concrete contribution towards a public sphere capable of pushing forward a reflection on highly relevant policies for the promotion of a culture of peace and, as a result, for the reduction of violence,” he says.
The research undertaken by UNESCO’s Brasilia Office and CESeC is the first in a series of debates on communication and information. The full study, in Portuguese, can be accessed here.
Related themes/countries
· Brazil
· Freedom of Expression
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