New report says the relationship between media and police is ‘broken and must be rebuilt’

According to a new report, the relationship between the police and media is ‘broken and must be rebuilt’. The Crime Reporters Association (CRA), the Society of Editors (SoE), and the Media Lawyers Association (MLA) collaborated on ‘Police and the Media – Repairing the Relationship‘ report, proposing 26 recommendations to improve all contacts between police and the media, from the moment a journalist picks up the phone to speak to a force for the first time, to the conclusion of the criminal justice process.

A strong working relationship between the police and the media is essential. Collaborating with the media to inform the public can help in solving crimes, bringing offenders to justice, and ensuring community safety. It also provides the public with valuable insight into police activities and their purposes.

The report highlighted concerns about the reduction in police background briefings and the rise of social media commentators filling the void, which has fueled misinformation and undermined public trust.

An independent review by the College of Policing into the Nicola Bulley investigation from January 2023 found the ‘wider relationship between the police and the media to be fractured’ and identified that ‘action needs to be taken on all sides to help build trust’.

Rebecca Camber, CRA chair and the report’s author, stressed the necessity for the police and the press to re-establish dialogue and mutual trust. Camber pointed out that the erosion of public confidence in the police, who risk their lives daily to ensure public safety, is a significant issue. She advocated for greater transparency in police work to restore public trust and improve police operations.

The Nicola Bulley investigation review identified that officers feel under immense pressure during major stories and can be reluctant to engage with reporters, feeling ‘vulnerable and exposed’ by media scrutiny.

The report detailed several incidents where the lack of effective communication led to misinformation. For example, when Valdo Calocane stabbed three people in 2023, a false rumour about a bomb explosion in Nottingham spread unchecked because press officers didn’t clarify the situation.

In 2018, the evacuation of Oxford Street tube station resulted in unnecessary panic due to a celebrity tweet about gunshots, which could have been mitigated with timely police updates. During the 2017 murder of PC Keith Palmer, journalists were directed to look on Twitter for updates, missing the chance to handle the news with sensitivity until an official announcement was made.

We readily acknowledge that the media’s behaviour has a large part to play here in enabling that change of perception and building trust. But with the support of police leadership in changing the narrative, we believe rebuilding this relationship is vital for public confidence.

To repair the strained relationship, the report suggests several practical steps:

• Visibility of contact information: Police forces should prominently display press office phone numbers and email addresses on their websites and be responsive to inquiries.
• Empowering press officers: Press officers should have the authority to provide guidance to reporters and hold regular briefings that distinguish between reportable and non-reportable information.
• Consistent communication: Police should continue emailing press releases to ensure journalists can stay informed without needing to monitor multiple police websites constantly.
• Contextualising events: Providing explanations for footage of arrests and police actions to prevent public misinterpretation and maintain trust.

Police and media representatives met earlier this week for a roundtable discussion organised by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to address the report’s recommendations. Following this, Alan Woods, Head of Media and Public Affairs at NPCC shared an update on Linkedin.

“Today was a significant milestone in our work to repair and refresh relationships between the media and police forces. Along with the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs’​ Council is working to address the recommendations for police communications that were made in the independent external review of the operational response to Nicola Bulley’s disappearance.

“In central London and with support from Luther Pendragon, we held a tabletop exercise with journalists. We were joined by the Crime Reporters’ Association, and representatives from the Society of Editors, the Media Lawyers’ Association and Newsquest Media Group Journalists talked this time about the solutions.

“What can tangibly be done by both sides in quick time? What are the longer term issues that require policy or process change, and further conversations? We talked about experiences of good and bad. But we looked forward more often than backward. It is another step in a process that will be ongoing for some time, but it felt overwhelmingly positive.”

Alan Woods, Head of Media and Public Affairs at National Police Chiefs’ Council.

The report calls for a cultural shift within both the police and the media. It encourages senior police officers to engage more openly with journalists and for journalists to responsibly handle the information they receive. The ultimate aim is to restore public trust and ensure that accurate, timely information is shared during critical incidents.

There are major benefits for forces to be more transparent about officers work and it will be interesting to see how the 26 recommendations are adopted. Implementing these recommendations could help rebuild mutual trust and enhance public confidence in law enforcement, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.

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