I AM uneasy about the police's new media model for their communications with newspapers, radio, TV and digital newsites, which was announced last week.
Granted, this is somewhat an industry in-house issue, something editors have to mull over. But it is worthy of noting to the public a police survey of media personnel, around 300, 54 per cent said they were unsatisfied with the existing systems of communicating with police, and a further 22 per cent were neutral. The police have acknowledged they have not kept pace with the changing face of media, particularly the instant demands of digital news now offered to the public.
It is great to see the police acknowledge that media is an integral part of modern policing, and plays its part in building public confidence in police. It is also fair to say that media's frustration with police comes from an inconsistent mix of communication channels. We like a consistent port of call, particularly on local matters, but those people aren't always available. Centralising the communications sounds ideal, but I'm not sure if the one-model-fits-all is the answer.
I believe there are fundamentals to media that police do not fully appreciate, and I also think too many police see the media as the enemy. I also believe media can get carried away with pursuit of information from officers who are trying, first and foremost, to do a difficult job.
Media can talk about being the watchdog for the community, and holding the police to account and public scrutiny, and that's a good thing. But I believe police do not appreciate our readers really want to read reassuring stories about men and women with big shoulders in blue uniforms who catch bad people.
