NCJ Number
56465
Date Published
1978
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEDIA TO SUPPLY POLICE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC IS DISCUSSED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF A PRESS PRACTITIONER.
Abstract
ACCORDING TO THE WEST GERMAN CONSTITUTION THE STATE MUST CONVEY INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH ENJOYS THE RIGHT TO FORM ITS OWN OPINION. BY IMPLICATION, THE MEDIA WHICH SERVES THE PUBLIC MUST ALSO BE INFORMED. VERY SHORT-TERM WITHHOLDING OF INFORMATION BY THE AUTHORITIES IS ONLY PERMISSIBLE WHEN GREAT DANGER TO HUMAN LIFE AND THE NATION CAN DEFINITELY BE SHOWN TO EXIST. EXAMPLES SUCH AS THAT OF THE HANNS-MARTIN SCHLEYER KIDNAPPING PROVE THAT NEWS BLACKOUTS RARELY ACHIEVE THE DESIRED ENDS AND THAT THEY ARE OFTEN IMPOSED WITHOUT VALID REASON. IN THE CASE OF TERRORIST ACTS DESIGNED TO DRAW PUBLIC ATTENTION, A NEWS BLACKOUT IS LIKELY TO PROVOKE AN ESCALATION OF TERRORISM. COOPERATION BETWEEN JOURNALISTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IS BASED ON TRUST AND MUST FOLLOW CERTAIN RULES: JOURNALISTS ARE USUALLY WILLING TO WITHHOLD INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF A DRAGNET, ESPECIALLY IF THEY KNOW THAT THEIR NEWS SOURCES ARE ENDANGERED. BUT IF A POLICE COVER-UP IS INVOLVED, THE JOURNALIST MUST EXERCISE HIS CRITICAL FUNCTIONS, AND COLLABORATION OF JOURNALISTS IN DISSEMINATION OF FALSE LEADS IS A QUESTIONABLE PRACTICE. RELEASE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO THE PRESS BEFORE IT CAN BE PRINTED ENABLES JOURNALISTS TO PREPARE BACKGROUND STORIES, TO ASSESS THE VALIDITY OF THE NEWS BLACKOUT, AND TO SQUELCH FALSE RUMORS. THE SCHLEYER CASE ILLUSTRATES HOW NEWS COMMENTARIES BECOME ONE-SIDED WHEN NEWS IS WITHHELD. THE POLICE-MEDIA RELATIONSHIP MUST BE BASED ON TRUST, BUT THE MEDIA ROLE MUST BE SEPARATED FROM THE POLICE ROLE IF THE MEDIA ARE TO RETAIN THEIR CREDIBILITY. FOR AN ENGLISH SUMMARY TRANSLATION, SEE NCJ-59507. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)