To Protect and Inform

The relationship between law enforcement and the media can sometimes be described as a complex one, wrought with preconceived notions and misunderstandings from both sides. However, when each serve honorably, and with the public’s interest at heart, law enforcement and the media can work together to accomplish their goals—to protect and inform.

It Starts with a Plan

Learning how to manage the media starts like any other task—with a plan. Understanding the objectives of the agency and of the media is a good place to start.

“I think some of the disconnect between law enforcement and the media is this idea that we want different things,” said Elizabethtown Police Department (EPD) Public Affairs Officer John Thomas. “I have learned that’s not true. Here at EPD, we have decided we want to be as transparent and informative to the public as possible. We want people to know who we are, what we do and why we do it. I’ve learned though training and interaction with the media, we want a lot of the same things. They want to inform the public. There is a real intersection between their objectives and our objectives.”

“We want people to know who we are, what we do and why we do it.”

— Elizabethtown Police Department (EPD) Public Affairs Officer John Thomas (Photo by Michael Moore)

Consistency in media plans are critical because they set the communication standards. Doing everything the same way at each scene allows the media to understand expectations. Speaking off the cuff and without preparation should be avoided. Boone County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lt. Philip Ridgell said he tries to have the story and his talking points ready before speaking with the press. Before the mic comes out, Ridgell said he tells reporters what he is going to talk about. He also tells them that he knows they will have questions, but asks for them to trust that he is providing them with the best information he has.

And while some agencies feel others might give out too much information, Ridgell says that each individual department has to weigh giving too much information versus bad information being obtained elsewhere.

“If you have a plan, even if you don’t (execute) it all that well, you can still put out good information that doesn’t jeopardize your case and satisfies the media’s and the public’s need to know and right to know,” said Ridgell. “By and large, the public just wants to know if things are safe.”

“By and large, the public just wants to know if things are safe.”

— Boone County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lt. Philip Ridgell (Photo provided)

Leader of the Pack

Having a public information/affairs officer keeps the media out of investigators’ way, while also providing critical information to the public, Ridgell continued. This individual, sworn or civilian, can give officers or deputies peace of mind, because they know who is going to respond to communicate with reporters. They know that no one will be placed on the hot seat or end up in front of a microphone, and that a critical image from the scene won’t be broadcast.

According to retired New York Police Officer and former Fox News  producer, turned Law Enforcement Crisis Communications Strategist Rob Tufano, departments that have the resources can benefit from hiring a civilian communications manager, who has the education and background, to strategize and create messaging, while utilizing sworn officers, who have credibility and trust, to serve as forward-facing PIO’s.

However, the founder of Tufano Media says that agencies become far too attached to the terms PIO and PAO. Some agencies simply do not have the resources to assign a dedicated individual to public affairs. Those agencies should focus on training enough officers who can continue working their current assignments, but positioning them so that when the occasions arise, that they are subject matter experts ready to respond.

“We train in our profession for everything, tactics, driving, weapons and self-defense, and for good reason,” he said. “All that training is important. However, no less important is communication training”

“If there is a mess up, fess up, right out of the gate. There is no shame in that.”

— Law Enforcement Crisis Communications Strategist Rob Tufano (Photo provided)

Prepare for the Worst, Promote the Best

Inevitably, most PIO’s will be called upon to handle a crisis, whether community or departmental. Having a template from which to draw when emotions and stressors are high can save agencies costly mistakes.

“A lot of departments take the old school approach of, ‘Don’t call us, we will call you,’ ‘Active investigation,’ There is nothing to see here, keep it moving,’” said Tufano. “And I think we have all seen what that show looks like. It never ends well for these departments. So be responsibly transparent out of the gate. Have a crisis communications plan to go to, know where all your players are going to be, where you are going to assemble them and that everybody has a role. Do frequent (quarterly or more) tabletop exercises going through the routine like it’s the real deal. Practice as much as possible.”

When it comes to getting good press, all three communication professionals say, it’s ok to brag, and social media is often the best place to do so. Many news agencies spend time scouring the web to glean stories. Additionally, popular platforms can have their own special advantages. Twitter serves as an advisory newsroom, while Facebook thrives in long-format storytelling and Instagram appeals to the younger, more creative crowd.

However, Tufano cautioned that departments come up short if they attempt to circumvent conventional media by only communicating to the public via social media.

“If you pull back, it’s not very strategic at all,” said Tufano, cautioning that agencies who do this leave out a lot of people who won’t even see their posting. “You aren’t going to be able to show me a police department in the country that could rival the reach that the media has on their respective platforms.”

Building Bridges

Two of the most important things law enforcement can do when managing the media is be transparent and build relationships.

If there is a mess up, fess up, right out of the gate, advised Tufano.

“There is no shame in that,” he said. “(Law enforcement) is a field comprised of human beings. Sometimes people in our field make mistakes. That’s fine. I think there is a lot of grace in society for people to admit when they fall short, acknowledge how regrettable it is and, more importantly, discuss what they are going to do moving forward to minimize that occurring again”

Additionally, be proactive and engaging. Begin developing a rapport long before a crisis occurs or the department has a positive story it wants to reach the community, said Thomas.

The public affairs officer noted that he likes to take initiative by sending out press releases on stories he knows news crews will be interested in, setting up press conferences and making sure reporters have access to his cell number. He added that, because he has built relationships with the local media, any time he has a feel good story, needs the public to identify a subject or to reach out to potential hires about recruitment, most of the time, the media willingly provides him an avenue to do so.

Thomas added that, he isn’t naive. Cases and victims must be protected, and he knows there are some reporters and media outlets that may have questionable motives, and, of course, biased and poor behavior can change the relationship between the department and the media. However, it’s best not to go into interactions believing media is the adversary.

“We constantly ask the public and the media not to judge all police by the actions of the few, and I think that’s fair,” said Thomas. “I don’t want people judging me or my agency by the actions of a few bad players in our profession. Give the media the same courtesy.”