Media and Public Relations

4-8 hrs

In this course, participants gain a greater understanding of the role of the media, its function, points of conflict, and methods for avoiding or resolving them. The media can be an effective instrument in informing the public, in a timely fashion, of events which have or may occur, that provide potential harm to them or members of their immediate family.

Points of contention, nonetheless, occur due in part to conflicting responsibilities. The public’s “right to know,” the sometimes unscrupulous pursuit of information even though it may compromise the successful resolution of a dangerous situation or the capture of a wanted suspect, and the unrealistic timeframes often posed are just some reasons. Yet, the media’s ability to reach large numbers of people in a relatively short period of time on issues such as wanted persons, missing children, homeland security concerns, road blockages, etc. can serve the public and police exceptionally well.

How both the media and public safety can be instruments of compatibility for each other is one of many focal points.

Components

What is the media?
Importance of the media.
Understand how the media works.
The public information officer (PIO).
Effective media relations.
Public records laws.
Public records exemptions.
Information that must be released.
Information that cannot be released.
When information should be released.
In-person contact with the media: do’s and don’ts.
Scene management.
The interview: Who’s in charge?
Questions interviewees might ask themselves before the interview.
Appearance issues.
Things interviewees might think about during the interview.
The importance of listening skills.