A NEW book about how police are represented in the media has been written by two Southampton lecturers.

Prof Frank Leishman and Dr Paul Mason, from Southampton Institute's Faculty of Media, Arts and Society, have worked together on Police and the Media: facts, fictions and factions, to be published on December 16.

The book looks at the nature of policing, crime and law and order and provides an overview of media images of crime and police and how the police use the media to promote themselves.

It includes an analysis of contemporary TV police drama series and reality shows as well as looking at the issue of trial by media and the implications for police and the justice system of the use of cameras in courtrooms.

Prof Leishman is Professor of Criminology and formerly served in the Lothian and Borders Police, where he worked in the fields of both criminal investigation and media relations. Dr Mason is Reader in Criminology. The book is published by Willan Publishing as part of the Policing and Society book series.