What does the new police and media charter mean for PR?
Hailed as a significant milestone in the biggest reset of the relationship between policing and the media in decades, the charter’s impact goes beyond comms officers working for police forces.
There has been a lot of news coverage on arguably the biggest shift in policing and media guidance for decades with a new media charter for the police and media.
What does any of this mean for anyone outside of journalists and police forces’ comms officers?
A lot. If the interaction between the police and journalists is more open and information sharing much more frequent, it can only support the public’s confidence because they know how much is happening proactively to keep them safe.
When Nicola Bulley tragically died in 2023, the speculation that followed was of a magnitude that I can’t remember seeing before. Social media influencers and armchair detectives were on the scene coming up with wild narratives about what they believed had happened. Information gaps were filled with misinformation, and the story blew up into something that could not be contained.
It could be argued if police and media were having conversations around what could be reported and what couldn’t and why, this may have dampened down what happened next. As it was, the tragedy went viral, and the police came in for criticism for how it was handled.
However, a report commissioned by the Lancashire police and crime commissioner and carried out by the College of Policing, as a direct result of this incident, led to a lot of work behind the scenes to get to where we are now.
Sharing information
The College of Policing Guidance has been updated for interactions between media and the police. The Policing and Media Charter, unveiled at the Society of Editors conference in March and compiled with them, the Crime Reporters Association, and the National Police Chiefs Council, and in addition, an updated Crown Prosecution Service protocol for the media.
As AI changes the world and how we interact, all these developments, coming directly out of the sad events of 2023, show how information sharing and having real conversations is vital.
Each force will now have a dedicated phone line for journalists to ring, rather than doing everything over email. There are clear guidelines for interactions between officers and reporters.
Humans interacting matters probably more than ever before and this charter illustrates that.
I spoke with one of the driving forces behind the charter’s creation, Rebecca Camber, who is the chair of the CRA, a group of specialist journalists covering crime and policing across print, broadcast and new media recently.
She said that needing to reset the relationship between the police and the media was vital. "There was no trust anymore and the walls had gone up with little meaningful engagement going on between us."
Rebecca told me that her message to police press officers and chief constables is “to invest in communications and let’s follow this charter because it has the power to make a difference.
"Focus on building those relationships with the media with chief officers, do they know who their local journalists are?"
Interestingly, the guidance only applies to accredited members of the media who hold a valid press card issued by the UK Press Card Authority (UKPCA).
It does not apply to citizen journalists, social media content gatherers or auditors who do not hold a valid press card.
The UK Press Card is formally recognised by all broadcasting and written news media, by policing and the Ministry of Justice.
To me this demonstrates the power of traditional accredited media, at a time when many also access their news from social media influencers.
“Off the record” reporting
Some of the detail from the College of Policing media guidance includes defining speaking terms and avoiding the term “off the record” as the basis for a conversation, as it can create ambiguity over how information is to be used.
It can also risk the perception of inappropriate or confidential information disclosure.
I think that this is helpful guidance, particularly around the briefing aspect for other organisations.
The four defined categories of basis of conversation are reportable, non-reportable, under embargo and for use but non-attributable.
Reasons and context as to when and why they should be applied are a helpful structure and will hopefully change the landscape of fear around interacting and speaking to the media, rebuilding trust that may have been decimated in previous years.
I think many organisations, not just police forces, would benefit from looking at the guidance, particularly around briefings, and see how it could apply to the way they interact with journalists, either day to day and during major incidents.
It is also sensible for communicators across all sectors to be familiar with the guidelines. If the police are doing non reportable briefings and you are a key stakeholder because the incident happened at your premises, do you know what they are saying to the media and why? It’s reasonable to ask that question.
Suggesting a communications officer to be present during media interviews is wise, in my opinion, because:
- It could have an impact on, or cause, community tensions.
- Is high-profile with significant media interest.
- Addresses national issues.
- Could damage confidence in policing.
- Is likely to generate interest from other media.
- Is considered contentious or highly politicised.
This guidance could be much more widely applied to other organisations, especially during a crisis when the instinct can be to turn inwards, and not outwards. Those first few hours and days are vital for regaining the narrative, building trust and enabling recovery.
We police by consent in the UK and arguably everything else falls out of a foundation of trust and respect. If something impacts the police, it impacts all of us. Human connection, trust and understanding what these guidelines mean for you as a stakeholder is vital. Because knowledge really is power.
Dee Cowburn is director of Dee Cowburn Communications, a communications consultancy specialising in crisis communications and media relations for private, public sector and charities. With two decades of experience in high-risk political environments, she was previously head of communications in policing and crime for the Mayor for West Yorkshire and a former investigative journalist and is also a specialist partner with crisis communications agency Alder. Responsible for all the communications from a political perspective around international stories including the murder of an MP in West Yorkshire, a teacher killed in her classroom, a police officer shot as they carried out inquiries, and many other high profile stories affecting communities. Dee has also worked with Together for Short Lives around the Assisted Dying Bill and is a trustee of Rett UK.
Further reading
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