Abstract
Inquiries into the accountability process have demonstrated that a variety of factors affect perceptions of law enforcement. Few studies, however, have investigated the relationship between media, sensationalism, and perceptions. Thus, a sample of California State University, Sacramento criminal justice and communications students participated in a survey during the 2016-2017 academic year. Subsequent statistical analyses indicated that criminal justice and communications majors do not differ significantly in their perceptions of police, which may suggest that media consumption does not affect individuals. Hypotheses are suggested that may explain the findings.