News Media Policy PDF

NEWS MEDIA **PREAMBLE:** A professional working relationship between the police and news media representatives is essential so that both may accomplish their objectives. News media representatives will be permitted to pursue their activities within the confines of the law and without interference...

NEWS MEDIA **PREAMBLE:** A professional working relationship between the police and news media representatives is essential so that both may accomplish their objectives. News media representatives will be permitted to pursue their activities within the confines of the law and without interference from OPD employees as long as these activities do not unduly interfere with departmental operation or infringe upon individual rights. Information will be released to the news media without partiality. **POLICY:** It is the policy of the Omaha Police Department (OPD) to release relevant information to the public through various news media while respecting victims, protecting the rights of individuals in police custody, and preventing the disclosure of confidential police information. OPD employees shall adhere to all procedures in the OPD "[Records -- Information Dissemination](https://powerdms.com/link/OPDEP1/document/?id=850891)" policy when releasing information to the media. **DEFINITIONS:** [Public Information]: Information that may be of interest to the general public regarding policy, procedures or events involving the department, or other newsworthy information that is not legally protected, does not unduly interfere with the mission of the department, infringe upon the rights of any person or compromise the legitimate safety and privacy interest of department employees, victims, witnesses or others. [News Media Representatives]: Those individuals who are directly employed by agencies of the electronic broadcast or print media. Free-lance workers in this field are to be regarded as members of the general public unless otherwise authorized by the Chief of Police. [Public Information Office (PIO)]: The OPD's PIO serves as a central source of information for release by the department and responds to requests for information by the news media and members of the community. The PIO is directly responsible to the Chief of Police. **PROCEDURE:** **I. Public Information Office (PIO)** A. The Public Information Office (PIO) will be responsible for: 1\. On-call responses to the news media as detailed in this policy. B. The PIO will be notified of and respond to the following scenes to provide information to the media: **NOTE:** Notifying the PIO of such incidents will allow the PIO to prepare for future media questions. **II. Release of Information to the Media by On-Scene Command Officers** A. Officers will adhere to the following procedures when releasing information to the media in the absence of the PIO: 1\. Officers' primary responsibility when responding to the scene of a crime incident is to preserve the integrity of the scene, to gather evidence, and to complete other needed investigative activities. 2\. In order to make certain that information released to the news media is accurate and that officers are able to fulfill their responsibilities at the scene, the command officer in charge of the incident or their designee will be responsible for releasing the following information regarding the incident to the news media in a timely manner when the PIO is not present: 3\. Officers will not release suspect or victim information on-scene to the media unless directed to do so by the PIO or the appropriate investigative unit. 4\. The command officer or their designee may contact the PIO for advisement if needed or may request that the PIO come on-scene and brief the news media when needed (see section I, B above). **III. Special Circumstances** A. Incidents Involving Child Victims, Sexual Assault Victims, or a Homicide, or an ERU Call Out. B. Officer-Involved Incidents. **IV.** **Media Interviews** 1\. There will be no interviews given to the media regarding policies, procedures, or events involving the department by an employee of the OPD without prior approval from the Office of the Chief of Police. B. On-Scene Interviews 1\. Prior to conducting an on-camera interview, officers will prepare the media off-camera to make certain that the media clearly understands the incident. **NOTE:** Preparing the media off-camera will allow the media to ask questions prior to the interview and allow the officer to better formulate an appropriate response. 2\. Officers will be aware that some reporters may be carrying the interview live via their cellular phone or other device. Officers will ask reporters if anyone will be carrying the interview live so that the officer may prepare accordingly. **V. Media Access to Crime Scenes** A. Media representatives will be allowed anywhere that the general public is allowed. 2\. The on-scene command officer will be responsible for designating a media staging location on-scene that provides the media with a safe location to film and report on the incident as appropriate. E. If a crime scene is on private property and the owner/agent or person in control of the property denies members of the news media permission to enter onto the property in the presence of police, officers will make certain that the media does not enter onto the property (see the OPD "[Trespassing](https://powerdms.com/link/OPDEP1/document/?id=854044)" policy for further details). F. Fire Scenes **VI. Media Access to Persons in Police Custody** A. Persons involved in incidents who are in police custody shall not be allowed to discuss the incident with news media representatives. B. Individuals in custody will not be posed for the news media to photograph. **VII. Media Relations** A. On-scene media may be a good source of investigative information. Investigative officers who arrive on-scene are encouraged to greet the media and build rapport as they may have information useful to the investigation. B. Generally, the media will only provide footage that was aired and will rarely provide raw footage of a scene. Officers that need a copy of the video for legitimate investigative purposes will contact the PIO to coordinate getting the footage from the news outlet. C. OPD employees will notify the PIO if they have had any conflict and/or confrontation with media representatives in the course of their duty. 1\. The PIO will follow-up on the incident and mediate it as appropriate. D. Officers shall notify the PIO and the Chief of Police or their designee as soon as possible when a media representative has been arrested. **VIII. Ride-Along Requests** A. News media representatives may request a ride-along through the PIO. **REFERENCES:** **I. Previous OPD Orders** **II. Accreditation Standards** **III. Other**