Book Description

The goal of this publication is to assist law enforcement to recognize and understand the needs and requirements of the media and to help the media understand the methods, policies, and constraints governing law enforcement. Often, without this mutual understanding, conflict arises between the right of the press to obtain information for dissemination to the public and the agency's responsibility to protect an investigation or the victim of a crime. As much as possible, clear-cut policies and procedures must be established and reduced to writing by the law enforcement agencies. These policies should be established in cooperation with the media, and should cover unusual, as well as routine, occurrences. The policies should establish lines of communication between both professions, and include what will be released, when certain releases are to be made and who is to release it. While law enforcement shares the responsibility for the initial notification of the media of newsworthy events, the media must be responsible for creating any pooling method through which law enforcement makes those notifications. This method must be convenient to law enforcement and expeditious to the media. Training is probably the most effective means of communicating the necessity for mutual cooperation, and is the responsibility of both the media and law enforcement. Because so much of the contact between the media and law enforcement is at the line level, the beat reporter and field officer must have a clear understanding of the others' requirements and constraints. Without this understanding, no amount of liaison between managers will overcome the friction that frequently develops at the "working level." The information in this manual was developed by representatives of the news media and law enforcement. It is divided into several major topic areas. The most important of these is the establishment of a written law enforcement-media policy. By adopting this policy individual agencies create their direction, attitude, and philosophy in this area. This is important because it influences the relationship the agency enjoys with the public and the news media. These relationships oftentime determine law enforcement effectiveness.