Book Description

To one extent or another, dealing with the news media is a fact of life for every American law enforcement leader. However, news organizations, although a pain at times, can aid law enforcement in a number of ways. This text avoids theory and the intangible and concentrates on the practicalities by exploring past troubled times and focuses on what cops and reporters have to offer each other. The “news” is defined and broken down into some of its technical, component parts. The secrets for establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with reporters are revealed, including the absolute necessity for credibility on the part of the law enforcement leader. Common sense policies and procedures concerning relations with the news media, and the importance of an effective Public Information Officer (PIO) is explored. The following topics are featured: newspaper journalism; the all-seeing eye called television; a look at what radio has to offer; Internet news; and what the Net can provide the police officer in twenty-first century America. The law enforcement officer will learn how to give an effective interview, produce news releases that will be used by the media, the art of leading a successful news conference, and the dirty tricks used by the occasional, unscrupulous journalist. Solid advice for overcoming this media misbehavior is given, which will prepare the leader for dealing with the media challenges found at the scene of a major crime, disaster, or other high-profile incident. Instructions for the responses required to recover from an episode of bad news is included, aiding the leader in how to inform the public of all good news that the agency generates. Each chapter concludes with a summary of vital points to remember, and a glossary of terms appears at the end of the text. A new chapter has been added on the topic of “fake news.” Law enforcement leaders need to understand what this phenomenon is and how to protect themselves from its negative effects. This how-to-do-it book is a troubleshooting guide that will enable the law enforcement leader to undertake any challenging media situation that is encountered.