Identified by the late, Robert Trojanowicz, as one of the 'Big Six' necessary for successful implementation and maintenance of community policing initiatives, the exact function of the media in community policing remains largely unexplored and untested. While authors of case studies have sometimes examined the degree of favorability with which community officers were portrayed in various media, none have examined media function, per se. The task of this exploratory piece istwo-fold. First, general and community policing literature are reviewed in order to identify how its champions have historically viewed the media's role in the community policing movement. The function of the media, as viewed by police, is then contrasted with the journalistic perspective of media functions in the United States. Conflicts between these two perspectives are examined and discussed. Second, results from a content analysis of media contacts with the National Center for Community Policing are presented to enhance our understanding regarding the 'field reality' of contemporary media's role in the community policing movement.