Equity–Equality Tensions in Police Social Media Communication With Socially Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods: The Case of Instagram

ABSTRACT This study draws on Instagram‐related data to examine how and why the equity and equality principles of fairness govern police communication with socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods on social media. Using the computationally intensive theory construction methodology and drawing on institutional theory and the framework for the interplay of digital technologies and social justice, we identify three forces that serve as sources of two tensions shaping equity‐equality conflict in police social media communication with socially disadvantaged communities. These three forces include (1) an institutional pull toward equality, (2) police officers' push against equality, and (3) residents' push against received equality or equity treatments. The two central equity–equality tensions include (1) the conflict between organizational commitments to equality and officers' attempts to pursue equity in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and (2) the plausible dissonance between institutional intent and residents' preferences for the treatment they receive. Our findings highlight the importance of aligning the broader institutional pursuit of fairness in social media communication with the specific needs and expectations of disadvantaged communities. This study contributes to theory by proposing a framework that conceptualizes equity–equality tensions in social media communication and to practice by offering insights for law enforcement and policymakers, among others.