JOURNAL ARTICLE

"There's really no risk of injury": News coverage of law enforcement phlebotomy & the discursive power of the police perspective.

  • Published In: Crime, Media, Culture, 2026, v. 22, n. 1. P. 145 1 of 3

  • Database: Communication Source 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Johnson, Anne Kathleen 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines how local and national newspapers in the United States have portrayed law enforcement phlebotomy programs—where police officers draw blood from motorists suspected of impaired driving—since their inception in 1995. Using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis, the study identifies two competing discursive frames in newspaper coverage: a dominant police perspective that justifies law enforcement phlebotomy as enhancing public security, prosecutorial effectiveness, and police efficiency, and a counter frame voiced mainly by defense attorneys that raises concerns about violations of individual rights, use of force, and risks of harm to suspects. The analysis reveals that police sources overwhelmingly shape the discourse, while the perspectives of individuals subjected to blood draws are notably absent, reflecting power dynamics that influence public understanding and support of this expanding policing practice.

Additional Information

  • Source:Crime, Media, Culture. 2026/01, Vol. 22, Issue 1, p145
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Law
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:1741-6590
  • DOI:10.1177/17416590251344477
  • Accession Number:190434438
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