NCJ Number
118681
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 37 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1989) Pages: 34-37
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Police officers represent good sources of information for news reporters, especially when guidelines facilitate the interview process.
Abstract
Honesty is a key element in working with the news media, and police officers need to protect their credibility by telling the truth. Adequate preparation by police officers for interviews is also essential. They should know in advance the purpose of an interview and have their facts straight ahead of time. It is important for police officers to anticipate questions and to know some background information about the interviewer. During the interview, police officers should maintain a conversational speaking style, make eye contact, insist on the right to reply to biased remarks, avoid extreme or distracting mannerisms, and say only as much as they had planned to say. Additionally, police officers should be cautious of going "off the record" with an interviewer and should listen carefully to each question asked. Media interviews can greatly benefit individual police officers and the departments they represent if proper guidelines are followed.