NCJ Number
84718
Journal
Bramshill Journal Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (Winter 1981-82) Pages: 39-42
Date Published
1981
Length
4 pages
Annotation
As a general principle, the police should be as open as possible with the media, subject to the circumstances of a particular case, threats to the lives of the persons involved, the confidences entrusted to the police, and persons' right to privacy.
Abstract
While the circumstances of a case may require restrictions on communications with the media at a given time, any restrictions should be reviewed every 48 hours to determine if the reasons for the restriction still apply. It is probably fruitless to try and convince the media that the police have a right and duty to withhold some information, and the media will probably never be satisfied that the police are as open in their communications as they should be. To an extent, the police bear the burden of developing and constantly critiquing the rationale for restricting information given to the public in a democratic society. Information restrictions should never be for the purposes of self-protection or to avoid accountability. Police officers should be trained to deal with the media in a practical and constructive manner. Further, the police can use the media to disseminate information on crime prevention and how citizens can help the police generally and in specific cases. Both the media and the police, however, should guard against the media becoming a mere agent of the police, which would compromise media credibility with the public. Six references are provided.