August 2019

Media Relations 

Guest Editors: Public Information Officers Section and Casey Shellenberger

In a time of 24/7 news cycles and information available to almost everyone with the press of a key, law enforcement executives and public information officers needs to be prepared to provide information related to crimes, officer actions, and community safety to the media at any given time. Having a media strategy in place can help agencies ensure transparency and the flow of accurate, reliable information to the public.  

 

Articles

• Effective Police-Media Relations

  By Liz Martínez R., Administration of Justice Instructor, Mesa Community College, Arizona
  Police dramas date back to the beginnings of the Reform Era of policing in the 1930s, when radio was in its infancy and serials captured the public’s imagination, and they continue to fascinate con...

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• Forging a Strong Rapport: The Benefits of Investing in Relationships with Local Media

  By Jeremy Warnick, Director of Communications and Media Relations, Cambridge Police Department, Massachusetts
  “The media is a food chain that would fall apart without local newspapers.” John Oliver’s stark portrait of the state of journalism in an August 2016 episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight

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• Finding Your Agency’s Identity: The “All-Levels” Marketing Approach

  By Doug Shoemaker, Chief, Grand Junction Police Department, Colorado
  Law enforcement agencies have undergone a rapid series of changes in the public opinion arena over the past three decades, largely fueled by various media outlets and the evolution of social media. S...

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• Sworn vs. Civilian PIOs: Adapting the Role of the Public Information Officer for 21st Century Law Enforcement

  By Chris Hsiung, Captain, Mountain View Police Department, California
  Over the past decade, law enforcement agencies across the globe have stepped into the world of social media—some more willingly than others. Much as social media has changed the landscape of mainstr...

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• IACP 2019: Find the Answers to Tomorrow’s Challenges

  The IACP Annual Conference and Exposition has become a career highlight for generations of l...

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• Candidate for IACP Fourth Vice President: 2019–2020 Office

  By Wade Carpenter, Chief, Park City Police Department, Utah
  My name is Chief Wade Carpenter, and I am a candidate for the IACP fourth vice president. I have had the opportunity to serve in law enforcement for more than 31 years, including 23 as a chief, and I...

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• Candidate for IACP Vice President at Large: 2019–2020 Office

  By Kristen Zimanm, Chief, Aurora Police Department, Illinois
  I used to sneak into breakout sessions at the IACP conference before I was a member. (My aim is to make that sound more scandalous than it actually was!) When I was a sergeant, I taught Seven Habits f...

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