How do we win the war in the media

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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041224/D87618480.html

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[Smokin Joe]

Interesting question.

Last week while at an LEO supervisors training a guy from Phoenix PD gave an class on Media relations. He made some interesting points about the media and how to deal with them.

From the Class: (Not necessarily my opinon)
1st you have to be proactive with the media. Think of the media as a bank account, and you make deposits into the account every time your agency or an officer does something good. I.E. A police officer pulled a man over for speeding and driving eractly, when the officer walks up to the car the driver says that his wife who is in the passanger seat is in labor and is crowning. The officer calls EMS and actually delivers the baby prior to EMS arrival. They say take this situation and get a quick interview with the family and the officer together standing in front of the hospital after the birth, hopefully you can get the mother and kid in the shot and get the officer to describe the event and end the interview with some cheese dick quote like, "when I was in the academy they taught us how to take people out of the world but they never taugh us how to bring anyone into it." Cha Chinge Deposit.


Now you cash these checks whenever someone from your agency screws up and the media finds out about it. One of the main reasons why the Roddy King video hit the media so fast is because. LAPD had a policy of not taking 3rd party complaints. The guy who shot the video of good old Roddy took the video to the LAPD police station in the area and talked to a Desk Lt. and asked to file a complaint about what he saw and had proof to back it up. The Desk Lt. politely stated sorry sir we don't take 3rd party complaints. :eek: The man walked outside called the local media and Bam! you know have Riots, cops going to jail, and a crook getting off. Just imagine how different the world would have been if LAPD took the individuals complaint and assured/ affirmed with the man who shot the video that they would defiently take the complaint and handle the situtation appropriately.

Some other points:
The media is gonna run the story with or with out you. Is it better to give them a pretty much useless statement but show the public that you are indeed interested in the specific complaint or allegation of officer misconduct and you are going to follow up with internal investigations or is it better to say, "NO COMMENT"?

Get the community on your side by getting info out to the media as fast as you can (tactically and ethically) because the media has there ways of getting info from police scanners to inside sources. The media will run whatever they can, but if you give them what little info you can offically (without comprimising the integrity of your investigation or case) then give it to them. It makes the media and the citizens feel like you are being a stand up agency. Otherwise they will cite things like "Unidentified Police Source stated, ..." this type of cite just pisses the citizens off because they feel that you are playing big brother to them.

I know this is all LEO crap but I think alot of it could be transfer over to the Mil side. If not used in this country maybe it will help out some PsyOps or Civil Affairs guy out there who is tapped out on ideas.

[BearFlag]

Nice write-up Smokin Joe. I think you are dead on.

Maybe we should elect you Media Czar!

[BMT (RIP)]

I was sitting strip alert at Ban Don. The Santa 'Bou landed with a few reporters aboard. One of the SCUM BAGS ask me what were all the choppers doing in the middle of nowhere. I told him we were a ORF if the NVA broke the truce. Dumb Ass believed me.

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