copaganda
noun
movies, television, news media, etc. that glorify the police or policing
What does copaganda mean?
Copaganda refers to books, news articles, movies, television, etc. viewed as uncritically helping or advancing the institution of policing/law enforcement.
Examples of copaganda
Critics have questioned the show’s negative portrayal of government—the two mayors in the show are incompetent—and dubbed it “Copaganda” for the way it glamorizes law enforcement.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 14 Feb. 2025
Like, I still remember people calling Zootopia “copaganda” because Judy happened to be a police officer, despite the ZPD being portrayed as full of flaws and having lots of people that make mistakes and unfortunately have biases. It, B99, and Rookie don’t treat police as universally good.
—The first job of copaganda is to narrow our conception of threat. Rather than the bigger threats to our safety caused by people with power, we narrow our conception to crimes committed by the poorest, most vulnerable people in our society. For example, wage theft by employers dwarfs all other property crime combined—such as burglaries, retail theft, and robberies—costing an estimated $50 billion every year.
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Where does copaganda come from?
Copaganda is a portmanteau of cop, the informal term for a police officer, and propaganda, defined as “ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause.”
Although copaganda is now used mostly for vehicles seen as furthering the cause of policing, there is evidence of older uses referring to the dissemination of anti-police sentiment, as well as tactics used by the police themselves to influence suspects.
He also said that the public perception of police officers has become increasingly negative over time due to media bias and creating dramatic headlines. He has a term for this, too. It’s called “Copaganda.”
—… told the jury police employed what he calls “copaganda” on his client. He explained police systematically wear down the suspect, where people have no other option but to confess.
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How is copaganda used?
As propaganda is usually used disapprovingly, so is copaganda.
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