Tip of the Iceberg or Moral Panic?

ARTICLE 

Theoretical Criminology May 1, 2008 12: 191-221

Police Corruption Issues in Contemporary New South Wales

by RODNEY TIFFEN

University of Sydney

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The most contentious issues in news coverage of scandals concern issues of proportion and

prevalence. In New South Wales, the issue of police corruption has been on political and

media agendas for more than three decades. The media reporting has included some land-

mark pieces of investigative reporting and dramatic revelations in trials and royal commis-

sions but also sensationalism and rhetorical extravagance. Despite the prolonged attention

and prolific coverage, serious questions remain about how well the extent and nature of cor-

ruption were reported and whether the media has conveyed the degree of reform in police

practices.