Police + The Press

Journalism and criminal-justice students mingle with officers from the Ball State University and Muncie Police Departments, learning about law enforcement practices, pressures and protocols. Students endure the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy’s physical-fitness exam and written assessment to learn what one must do to become an officer, and they then spend the rest of the semester in simulated scenarios designed to teach them the professional roles and nuances expected of police and the press. Later, students switch roles, where journalism students teach officers (and criminal-justice students) about the many functions of media.