Few fields in the law enforcement profession are experiencing greater or more rapid change than public information; changes in mission, production, and delivery have begun, and continued change is inevitable. However, the future presents unparalleled opportunities for law enforcement leaders to deliver better public information services and to develop stronger ties with their communities.

The Good Old Days

In the past, working with the media for most police departments meant working primarily with newspapers and television. Newspapers provided the bulk of police news coverage. As many as 30 years ago, most police departments held press conferences when major stories broke or when the department needed public assistance. The department routinely issued releases about specific incidents, and “cop shop” reporters picked up these releases at police stations. Both radio and television usually followed the local newspaper’s leads, which often grew out of press releases and out of relationships that individual reporters developed with individual officers. However, in a wider sense, the relationship between the media and law enforcement agencies was often an uneasy one.