Police Media Relations

Police media relations
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Introduction
In the criminal justice system, varied departments and divisions work together to ensure delivery of justice. Among the involved aspects, are; the police media relations. These contribute to the articulation of the required implementation f justice in one way or the other. This area mainly touches on the release of news, information as well as media liaisons. This paper analyses the police media relations in the administration of justice. The essence of the meaning of this aspect in the administration of criminal justice is discussed as well as the different ways in which it contributes to the criminal justice administration.
Police media relations
The police media relations aims to foster cooperation between the police department and the news media such that, when the police need some service from the media to aid in the police undertakings, the service is availed in good time. On the other hand, if it is the media that requires the help of the police in undertakings that are related to the mandate of the police, such can be availed without much delay. The police media relations also ensure mutual respect between the police department and the news media. There is the need to cultivate mutual respect between those two entities because; each one is an entity by itself with their own mandate and if mutual respect is not cultivated then there ought to be some misunderstandings. In this sense, one entity could be regarded as misusing the other, and this way, the much needed cooperation will not be available.
Schulenberg & Chenier (2014) observe that; the police usually have well trained members who form the police media relations. In most cases, they are people who, on top of the police training, have some basic knowledge on how to work or relate with the media people. They are usually very much dedicated due to the nature of their mandate. This is because; the work in the police media relations involves working with the police and the media to ensure that the public is informed. Sometimes, it is about the police getting the information or even the media getting the required information from the police. The members of the media relations understand the crucial part that is played by the media in terms of ensuring that the public is informed on the dealings of administering criminal justice. This understanding makes them strive to achieve the mutual respect as well as the cooperation that is needed between the police and the media.
In regard to the understanding of the role played by the media in informing the public, the members of police media relations endeavor to assist the media people in gathering the information and reporting on events relating to justice for both the locals and the visitors. A lot of dedication is required here because; the perception of the public about the police and the whole administration of justice are at stake here. In this regard, the police media relations must therefore ensure that the media people get the right information at the right time. They also ensure that the information is released in a manner that does not shed a bad light to the public about the undertakings of the police.
Huey & Broll (2012) disclose that; the police media relations have come to existence in the recent years. They came as a realization of the crucial positive impact that could be realized by having this essential department in the police. Before their existence, the media people did not have a central place where they could obtain the much needed information concerning the police undertakings in regard to administration of criminal justice. This led to delays in gathering the information. At times, due to the obstacles encountered, the media people would report unverified information due to the lack of centrality in getting the information. Again, due to the lack of a central place to gather the information, the media could receive differing information on the same issue. This led to misgivings from the public concerning the undertakings of the police in the criminal justice administration. There came to be the realization of the need to have the police media relations department so as to ensure a central place whereby; the media people could get the much needed information concerning the police undertakings in administration of criminal justice concerning both the citizens and the visitors.
The police realized the need to pursue an open and responsive relationship with the media. No other department could do this better than the media relations department. This department has enabled creation of news relating to the police undertakings that have far reaching interest. This is encouraging not only to the media but also to the police as well as the public who are aware that the news they get from the media about the police undertakings are verifiable. Writers, producers and directors of media creations get much needed assistance from the police media relations.
Structure
In the police media relations department, the staffs are available from as early morning as five till midnight. The officer in charge or the assistance is available on a 24 hour base. The police media relations department liaises with all the major media outlets. The liaison is maintained despite some challenges which are worked upon to ensure that no major media outlet is left out. Some of the barriers include language. Some of the media houses use languages that are not common. Schulenberg & Chenier (2014) note that; for those kinds of challenges, the media house is mandated to come up with translations that do not alter the original message that is given. Another challenge is that of different cultures.
Different Media are oriented to different cultures which are difficult to be satisfied by what the police may give through the police media relations. But despite all these, the police media relations try to satisfy every media house. This is achieved through the highly trained members of the police media relations. Those are well trained on neutrality in terms of dealing with different cultures. The different affiliations of the media also not prevent the police media relations department from reaching their goal of meeting the needs in the different media houses. Some media houses may be affiliated to Christianity while others are oriented to Islam. The highly trained officers in the police media relations ensure neutrality such that, the different culturally oriented media houses get served to satisfaction.
During the dissemination of the news, the telephone numbers of the police media relations department are also given so as to ensure contact. This facilitates dissemination of factual n...