Strategy #18
Media Relations
Foster continuing and positive relationships with all media and use their extensive outreach capabilities to publicize agency efforts to enhance traffic safety and the overall law enforcement mission.
Background
The media can be effective in disseminating the message of how important traffic safety is to citizens and law enforcement. Positive relationships with all types of media (print, radio, television, and online) will help lend credibility to the agency, its personnel, its mission, and the importance of maintaining an effective traffic safety program.
Actions
- Develop a policy and implement training programs for officers that focus on working with all types of media.
- Ensure the information provided to media outlets is timely, correct, credible, and reinforces the agency’s public safety image.
- Establish a primary media contact resource within each organizational level while making all officers “media” officers in their day to day performance of duties.
- Seek honesty and truthfulness
Benefits
- Positive media relations will help ensure agency credibility among the public, and help ensure that public safety messages reach their intended target audiences.
- Effective media relations will help ensure accountability for job performance.
Other Considerations
- Media representatives can become over-zealous in their coverage of departmental activities.
- Required training may decrease the number of available personnel.