It has always seemed like a natural progression. Many reporters and anchors who retire, quit, or get fired eventually find themselves in the inner sanctum of the agency they once covered in the news, either as a public information officer (PIO), media specialist, or advisor.

Agencies of all sizes from all different markets have or may have had a journalist in charge of their media relations. Some former journalists come from small community newspapers; others are former broadcast anchors with highly visible profiles. However, there are some factors to consider before taking a reporter from the media side of the yellow tape to the police side of the yellow tape.

Why Consider a Journalist?

Those who consider hiring a journalist for police media work usually do so hoping it will help bridge the gap between their agency and the press corps and provide inside knowledge of local media outlets; often, it’s also hoped that the journalist will bring with them their public reputation in the community and their professional reputation with former colleagues.

When considering a former journalist for the role of spokesperson or advisor, agencies should ask themselves, what is the end game? What do they want from the journalist? What is the thing the agency is missing or needs that only a reporter can best fulfill? If the agency can answer those questions, then it can easily map out the best strategies to make a journalist a part of the team.

There is a lot to consider before making a journalist the face and voice of an agency or a potential policy maker for the organization. Resist the temptation to appoint a journalist as the communications director, advisor, or PIO simply because the person sounds great on the radio, has a sparkling personality on television, or writes eloquently. Do not get starry-eyed—a journalist from a three-letter network does not necessarily have more experience in communications than one from the local press corps.

Being a fan of someone’s work in the media does not necessarily mean that they are qualified to run a police  department’s media relations efforts or oversee its strategic communications. Additionally, someone from a larger network news operation may have a bit of an adjustment working in the environment of a smaller agency.

What to Consider If You Want to Hire a Journalist

Is the journalist respected among their peers?

This is something not usually considered but is important to assess the relationship a reporter may have or had with their colleagues. After all, one of the most popular reasons a reporter is hired is for their contacts and ability to pitch stories and head off or mitigate negative coverage. Speaking with other reporters in the market might lend some insight, as well as a conversation with news directors or other professionals.

We wished we’d known the reporter we hired wasn’t very well liked or respected among the local press corps. We had more complaints about the reporter in the first few months of them being hired than the entire time the former sworn PIO was there.*

—Command staff from a law enforcement agency in California

We brought in a former reporter who was known more for their lifestyle stories than any crime coverage, but they had the personality and experience we were looking for, and they were well liked in the community, including others in the media. It took some intense training to get them to understand how to tell our story effectively and accurately, and it paid off. Our social media is popular, and we get a lot of positive press coverage.

—Captain from a public safety agency in Utah

Does the journalist have experience in employee management?

This is a critical skill if the journalist will be expected to supervise people, especially sworn personnel. A working journalist probably has no formal training in the management of a professional staff. If the position includes oversight and accountability for others, it would be wise to inquire about the journalist’s background in leadership. Keep in mind, too, that managing sworn personnel is completely different from overseeing junior reporters in a newsroom environment.

It can be a big adjustment to go from the frenetic pace of a news environment to that of a highly structured paramilitary organization. Be mindful that the environment of a newsroom in a small town will be vastly different from a newsroom in a major city; they all have their own unique way of achieving the same goal … the deadline. Also consider the dynamic of a civilian managing members of a police union. It may be necessary to send the journalist to personnel management seminars or some sort of development course, preferably one with an emphasis on law enforcement.

It also would be beneficial for the journalist to meet with the agency’s union representatives. One of the top reasons for stress between an agency and its union is the lack of internal communication and inability to convey a unified message publicly. Perhaps a journalist-turned-comms professional could help bridge that divide.

Also, while a journalist who may have been on the “cops and courts” beat for years and knows all the vernacular, the players, and the process, does not necessarily know how to manage all of that in the law enforcement environment.

Does the journalist have experience in strategic communications, internally and externally?

The journalist has spent their career delivering the news on-air or in print, but will they know how to forecast an agency’s branding, draft an incident action plan, or help an agency recover from a high-profile incident that ruined the agency’s reputation in the community? Will the journalist know how to communicate critical incidents internally with department personnel and externally with the media? The nomenclature of law enforcement is different than the conversational language of civilians. This is an often-overlooked skill that can impact morale and reduce rumors and speculation. These are helpful minimal skills for any PIO.

When working with an agency in the U.S. Midwest, the author asked the chief if their new reporter/PIO was up to speed on strategic communications. The chief replied, “Yeah, they are proficient in all the social media platforms.” Assuming the chief didn’t understand the question, I the author rephrased, “That’s great, but what about the plan for your agency’s branding, crisis communications and internal/external communications? If one of your officers shoots and kills an unarmed person, will your new reporter/PIO be able to calm an outraged community based on their sparkling on-air reputation?” The chief responded with a blank stare.

When it comes to communicating effectively, a journalist may be a great tool because of the way they were trained to tell a story. Law enforcement writes and speaks the way they were taught to communicate on a radio or write a report. Journalists are trained to deliver news, whether verbally or in print, in a conversational style—and a conversational style is relatable, a quality much needed in the world of law enforcement.

What is the journalist’s role?

Defining the role of the journalist is vital to their success and helps achieve expected results for the agency. If the journalist needs to be able to easily transition from covering the news to potentially representing the subject of a story, then clearly defining the expectations of that role not only helps the performance of the former journalist but it also gives the agency the necessary template to hold the person accountable. As with many agencies and media outlets, duties have been consolidated into fewer people. If that is the case with the journalist’s position, have a candid discussion with potential hires on tasks, resources, and expected outcomes.

The former journalist may have only done one to two stories a day or read a teleprompter a few times a day. Some reporters are excellent at multitasking and have had the burdens of multi-job consolidation thrust upon them; others have had the luxury of researching only one story for an entire week or more. Their assignments were planned by others and in some cases, the stories written and edited by others. In the journalism world, accountability happens at the deadline, meaning a journalist is given a date and time in which the story is due, and they are typically not heard from again until that time, whereas in the policing world, the bureaucracy and stages of accountability exist at all levels.

Our comms director was a television news personality. During the interview process, they assured us they could deliver multiple projects using their relationships with the local media. We were excited to get the ball rolling. Unfortunately, they were never available to give progress reports because we could never get them to attend meetings. We were obligated to include these projects in regular reports to the chief and civilian oversight body. It was embarrassing because we made assurances the projects would be delivered on time. We should have made it clear what we expected from them, complete with mutually agreed-on check-in dates and times. Looking back now, we probably would not have hired that person.

—Captain with a law enforcement agency
in the U.S. Southwest

Be open about any challenges the agency might be experiencing, including political challenges. Make sure the journalist is comfortable working in the agency environment with the deadlines and budget provided.

A PIO from an agency on the West Coast who used to be a reporter with a radio station shared that one of their biggest learning curves was the transition from being the person who fought, dug, and clawed their way to getting the inside scoop to now being the person who has to suppress that information from their former colleagues. They said the first time they were at a critical incident briefing, listening to every detail of the situation, they felt uncomfortable, kind of like they knew they weren’t supposed to be there. But worse, they were so afraid of exposing compromising details of the case they opted to withhold a lot of pertinent information the public had a right to know. It took them about a year before they were comfortable enough to sift through any incident and know with a high level of confidence that they could do a press conference without a homicide detective as a safety net.

Will the journalist fit in?

How will the journalist interact with members of the department? Will they have a civilian rank or a position higher than others in the department? If so, consider the possible tension created by a civilian giving direction to a member of the sworn personnel, especially veterans of the department. And if members of the department are not fond of the media to begin with, there could be some challenges with the journalist seeking cooperation from others in the department.

One agency in the southcentral United States traditionally had a sworn person leading the media relations team, but the agency decided to try a journalist in that role. The journalist was a well-known local personality, and the agency leaders were excited to have someone with such popularity in the department. This personnel decision placed a civilian in charge of sworn personnel, which is not unheard of.  However, within just a few weeks the honeymoon had abruptly ended, partly because the former reporter would make demands of other command-level staff, which  was not very well received.

“A journalist may be a great tool because of the way they were trained to tell a story.”

These types of pitfalls can happen, but it’s not all bad out there. For instance, an agency in the western United States has a senior communications specialist who was a well-respected veteran television and radio reporter. He shared that his first few months in the department were rough because the rank and file had a high level of disdain for the media. That was difficult to navigate because he wanted to use more sworn personnel as spokespeople. Fortunately, he had the support of his immediate supervisor and the respect of the local press corps. He said it took a little time, but he was able to gain the trust of everyone in his department because he worked hard to demystify the actions of reporters and newsrooms. When officers realized he was there to help, he soon became the go-to person to vet all external communications among the spokespersons in his agency. And, through all of this, he was able to maintain his professional and mutually respectful relationship with the local media.

As in that situation, the journalist may have to work a little harder to gain the trust of the staff. Many sworn personnel have grown suspicious of the media, and the shock of having a journalist suddenly sitting in a tactical briefing may make some people a little uncomfortable, including the journalist. To gain the trust of the rank and file, the journalist should assure them of the individual’s commitment to the department. Loyalty is a major factor in the culture of a law enforcement organization, and, if the journalist comes off as insincere or patronizing, the sworn officers will notice that right away.

Will the journalist be the face and voice of the agency or an advisor?

In defining the role of the journalist, leaders need to decide will the journalist be an authorized spokesperson? If so, what will be the limits to what they can discuss? Keep in mind that a journalist is not accustomed to being on the receiving end of a barrage of harsh questions or may not even possess the skills to effectively communicate the message verbally. Television personalities who may be used to reading a teleprompter could have difficulty speaking “off-the-cuff,” whereas radio news personalities tend to be more comfortable going off script. Print reporters may not have any experience whatsoever in front of a microphone or camera. Many journalists may not be comfortable speaking to a live audience, especially one made up of their former colleagues. If the journalist will be speaking to the media, then consider producing a mock press conference using personnel as members of the press corps or inviting PIOs from other agencies to participate. Put the journalist through some tough questioning to gauge their performance before they have to face the real thing.

How will the journalist adjust to the new culture?

A journalist in the role of a PIO may face scrutiny if they are not properly educated on the agency’s policies and procedures or if they lack the knowledge to discuss specifics about a crime. For example, when discussing a homicide case, the journalist will most likely have to respond to questions about weapons used, forensics, or evidence. Journalists are critical of any spokesperson who is unable or ill-equipped to discuss the basics of a crime, apart from the understanding that some details cannot be discussed in the early stages of an investigation. Simply responding with, “I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation” no longer works. Similarly, if the phrase, “I don’t know the answer to that” is used too many times, it reflects poorly on the PIO and the agency.

If the new position is advisory in nature and more behind the scenes, just be aware many media personalities crave the spotlight and may want to go back in front of the camera or microphone someday. And, if that happens, the role of the journalist advisor has been altered and could impact the dynamic of the position.

Some journalists work in a bit of a silo, meaning they move from story to story without investing too much time thinking about the people affected by the story. It’s hard to imagine any journalist who wouldn’t be emotionally impacted by interviewing the family of a murdered child, but at some point, that journalist will have to move on to the next story. You may have to explain to the journalist that, as an agency representative, they might now have to console that family and prevent the media from getting near them.

What are the journalist’s writing skills?

This may seem like an odd thing to consider, but writing a news story or newscast is different than writing a press release, advisory, or community newsletter. Is the agency’s style of communication more conversational or more formal? Agencies should ascertain the journalist’s ability to write in their style. Also, if the journalist will be a speechwriter for the chief or command staff, be aware that this is a different style of writing. Ask for a writing sample, or, if necessary, give the applicant a writing test.

Is it possible to audition the journalist?

Consider auditioning the journalist. As suggested earlier, create a mock press conference using members of your staff or other agencies’ PIOs as “reporters.” Choose a case or scenario unknown to the PIO candidate and test their ability to perform in a pinch or see how well they prepare. This could be a good way to get a sense of the journalist’s performance under pressure. Administer a writing test composed of various copy points and have the individual create a press release, briefing statement, article for a website, and a social media post. Since journalists are used to submitting their “reel” or body of work to seek employment in the media industry, going through an audition is not unfamiliar to many of them.

Is the journalist bilingual or multilingual?

Ask the journalist if they are fluent in a foreign language, including sign language. This could be a great asset. Also ask if they can read and translate a foreign language for print. If your community has a high percentage of people who speak a foreign language, consider enrolling the journalist in a language immersion course or make sure they can train a member of your staff to function as an interpreter/spokesperson. Keep in mind that if a journalist knows a foreign language, does that mean they are fluent enough to explain a complex homicide investigation? That’s very different from knowing just enough of the language to order off a restaurant menu.

Consider using a bilingual journalist in community outreach. They are used to promoting themselves for ratings or number of readers so this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. But, now, they represent the agency, in both good news and bad. Make sure the person is comfortable not only promoting the agency, but also defending it if necessary. They could be a great bridge between an underserved community and the agency.

Ensure the journalist knows the importance of communicating with multi-ethnic communities where necessary. Ethnic communities tend to be very loyal to any news outlet that communicates in their native language. And, once they find a reporter or anchor they trust, they will stay with them for life. Reporting on an ethnic community as an outsider is different than serving that community as a member of law enforcement. The dynamic is different, and the journalist may have to consider the sensitivities of communicating to a community outraged over something like a fatal use of force.

Will the journalist conduct training of any kind?

Will the journalist be required to conduct training? If so, make sure they understand effective means to convey the message. Simply using PowerPoint presentations to lecture a class of police officers doesn’t help. Remember, just because the journalist may have effectively delivered the news every night in broadcast or print, that doesn’t automatically make them an effective communicator for training purposes. Consider, too, whether the topic they might be teaching has any POST-required element.

Are there any potential conflicts of interest?

Professional journalists learn about media ethics early in their formal education. However, over the years, news outlets have relaxed their criteria for employment, and a journalism degree is not always required to be a professional journalist. A journalist does not need a license or certification to gain employment. Much like law enforcement agencies operate under a core values model, legitimate journalists abide by a code of ethics

A former reporter was our lead PIO. We were having a problem with leaks about high-profile cases getting into the hands of our local newspaper. We thought the former reporter could help track it down and stop it. Come to find out it was the former reporter who was leaking the information. And some of the information they leaked ended up being wrong, greatly jeopardizing the case and the department’s credibility. We had no choice but to fire them.

—Lieutenant with a law enforcement agency
in the southeastern United States

It goes without saying that a journalist’s ethical compass should still be intact when they leave a journalism job to join a law enforcement agency. But, it is still important to be aware of any potential conflicts of interest between the journalist and their previous outlet. For example, is their former news outlet suddenly breaking big stories, getting exclusives, and scooping other media organizations? This could be a big problem for the other media outlets who don’t have the benefit of a former staffer in the agency’s ranks.

Also, knowing about a journalist’s code of ethics can help agencies hold media outlets accountable for errors in reporting or any behavior that appears out of line.

A reporter with a well-known newspaper was writing hit pieces about our department using former disgruntled employees as their primary source of information. The reporter would email us for comment and only give us 20 to 30 minutes to respond before posting their story. It was getting to the point that we were spending more time defending ourselves to that one reporter than assisting other reporters who were much more professional. We had no problem taking our hits where appropriate, but we had a big problem being blindsided at every turn. Sadly, our former reporter-turned-PIO was not very helpful because they had never dealt with that type of issue before. Finally, I sent a copy of the SPJ’s [Society of Professional Journalist’s] code of ethics to the reporter’s editor outlining the various rules they were breaking. Within the hour, the editor had called me to apologize not knowing the backstory.

—Retired deputy chief from a law enforcement agency
in the southwestern United States

Does the journalist have a pseudonym?

This is another unusual topic to consider, but an agency should make sure the journalist fully understands they will be hired under their legal name and not a professional name or pseudonym. Broadcast journalists and some print reporters may use professional names because that name might be more memorable or easier to say, especially if the journalist’s name is hard to spell or pronounce. Journalists may also assume a professional name to protect their identities for safety purposes. Also, it is a good idea to make it clear that, as an employee of a public organization, a journalist’s actions and communications are now subject to public records requests, including cellphone texts, emails, and other correspondence. Additionally, critics of the agency will now become critics of the journalist, especially if those critics represent so-called fringe media, watchdog groups, “doxxers,” or those who use social media as their sole form of communication.

Will the journalist be socially accepted?

When considering hiring a journalist, check all of their social media platforms and go back over the person’s entire social media history. Have they ever posted something that could be deemed offensive or something that aligned with their employer’s political values? Do they consider themselves an influencer, or do they mostly post pictures of food? If they consider themselves an influencer, that means they are driving opinions and actions and could be promoting an agenda. Could those opinions and agenda conflict with the agency’s core values? Does the journalist need to delete or mute their account while they work in the agency? Will the individual be expected to follow the agency’s social media policy?

A lot of journalists use their outlet’s call letters or company identifier in their social media handle, for example, @JoeSmithKXYZ or @NewspaperJanet. This is the most common method of getting verified by the various platforms. It may be a conflict of interest for their outlet-affiliated handle to now be associated with the agency. (The media outlet likely won’t care for it much either.)

The journalist may need to create a new social media account that aligns them with the agency. It’s cleaner and helps to make them part of the team.

Another thing to consider is a journalist’s larger-than-life online personality and its potential for conflict. Does the journalist post over-the-top comments and photos from parties or inappropriate selfies one day, and then, on another day, post pictures from a command post about a murder investigation? The tenor of the journalist’s social media account should be more in line with that of their new role. And sure, if the agency hosts a fun event with cops handing out backpacks at schools, the journalist should absolutely be upbeat in promoting that on their social media account, but posting a selfie holding a cocktail at a nightclub one minute and then posting a photo of the chief at a press conference could dilute the agency’s credibility and trust with the community.

Conclusion

Using a journalist as a PIO in a law enforcement agency could be a smart move, but remember that being a good or engaging journalist doesn’t make them instantly qualified to become a PIO or communications specialist. Make the first encounter with the journalist a transparent one. Be up front about challenges and expectations. If expectations are clear, and the agency takes the time to research the person’s background and properly vet them, using a journalist as a PIO could pay off in a big way. 🛡

Note: 

* All quotes are from one-on-one conversations the author had with PIOs and command staff from various U.S. law enforcement agencies. Names have been concealed for safety reasons. 

Please cite as

Steve Gregory, “Don’t Get Starry-Eyed: What to Consider Before Making a Journalist Your PIO,” Police Chief Online, July 19, 2023.