Who Is In, Who Is Out? Media Categorization and Police Informational Gatekeeping in France

In Western democracies, police institutions have increasingly professionalized their communications to manage public narratives and maintain legitimacy. This article investigates how Police Press Officers (PPOs) in France categorize media outlets and how these classifications shape journalists’ access to official information. Drawing on a five-month ethnographic study, a national PPO survey, and analysis of nearly 1,900 media requests received by the French police in 2023, the study shows that PPOs develop informal typologies based on perceived ideological leanings and journalistic quality. These perceptions directly influence the likelihood that journalists’ requests receive a favorable response, with lower perceived quality and hostile editorial stances correlating with reduced access to information. Such selective gatekeeping practices have significant implications for democratic accountability, potentially undermining transparency and limiting the press’s watchdog role. The findings highlight the enduring discretionary power of front-level bureaucrats in the digital age while illustrating how journalists can negotiate or circumvent these constraints in practice. By examining the everyday interactions between police institutions and the media, this study advances our understanding of how bureaucratic perceptions and informal classifications shape the distribution of institutional information within contemporary democracies.