The Media vs Law Enforcement

[LENSCRAFTER]

Question for you.

What are your day to day dealings like with Law Enforcement? Do you ever feel USED by them?

I ask because in our area this week Law Enforcement officials needed help finding a lost kid. No problem... good story. There were press conferences, interviews and live shots. Then, happily, the child is found alive. Great. But at that moment the SAME officials that want to help shield the kid with a blanket, offer no comment and ask that he be left alone.

Isn't that unfair to the media and the viewer? These people who have been watching and praying for the boys safe return and then there is no "pay off" so to speak.

[BPOnTheAir]

I personally have never had a problem like this. What I've found is our local officers and officials are willing to open up to complete the story, but sometimes the family shuts us out after seeking our help.

I even had a dad shove and yell at me to back off when his son was found. He asked for our help, but wouldn't let me within 10 feet of the family when it was over.

[The Mockingbird]

You can get back at them by photoshopping them a lot after they leave the force and start pimping their blog.

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/1244/zomgdramaticevidencemn5.jpg

[Ferrycrossthemersey]

I say, never "help" law enforcement because that's not your job; your job is to simply, cover the news. So, if you determine it's newsworthy to cover the story of a missing child, by all means, cover it, but don't do it to "help" the cops in anticipation of favors.

You have a job, and law enforcement has a job; if it turns out, that in the course of doing these jobs, one helps the other, well, great. If it turns out, you "hurt" eachother, that's okay, too.

But a journalist is not an arm of law enforcement, ever.

Boy is that convoluted, but I think you see my point.

[Run's House]

Originally posted by Ferrycrossthemersey:
I say, never "help" law enforcement because that's not your job; your job is to simply, cover the news. So, if you determine it's newsworthy to cover the story of a missing child, by all means, cover it, but don't do it to "help" the cops in anticipation of favors.

You have a job, and law enforcement has a job; if it turns out, that in the course of doing these jobs, one helps the other, well, great. If it turns out, you "hurt" eachother, that's okay, too.

But a journalist is not an arm of law enforcement, ever.

Boy is that convoluted, but I think you see my point.I see your point...but let me counter-point, Jane you ignorant slut...No, seriously, TV stations have a legal requirement to notify the public in certain situations, i.e. EBS/Amber Alerts. That being said, if a news organization chooses to make a news story out of their federal requirement that is their decision and not that of the government.

However, I agree with the overall theme of the OP. A lot of times you don't get a professional courtesy after doing police a favor.

[UpNorth]

perhaps you need to think of this from the child's perspective. he/she is probably scared, confused.. the last thing a child needs when they've already had a traumatic experience is people getting in their face. Regardless of what the child had gone through, most children are going to find that a very frightening experience.

[MOCR]

Originally posted by Run's House:
...No, seriously, TV stations have a legal requirement to notify the public in certain situations, i.e. EBS/Amber Alerts...Umm, no they don't. Show me the FCC regs on that one. Notifying the public is called public service, and it usually tends to be a ratings boon, but not a legal requirement. Participation in EAS is voluntary.

[LENSCRAFTER]

Originally posted by UpNorth:
perhaps you need to think of this from the child's perspective. he/she is probably scared, confused.. the last thing a child needs when they've already had a traumatic experience is people getting in their face. Regardless of what the child had gone through, most children are going to find that a very frightening experience.Thanks for that. Seriously.

[Sultanosurf]

It's a pain every day. A large number of cases are solved with media tips, yet if we're on deadline, it's hit or miss that we can get info we need.

There's respect for victims/survivors, etc. But you aren't doing the job if you accept edicts. It's cathartic to talk. As much as people need privacy, they also wanna thank the people who helped in the search, including -- god forbid -- the media.

[vuphinder]

Believe it or not...the public has no obligation to appear before the news media at all. That's why in every other situation you have to get a release to use a person's likeness when he/she is on video for any other reason. Look at the show "Cops", tbe guys with their faces blocked out didn't sign the release at the end of their arrest. The other morons did just to be on tv.

[ncreporterdude]

I agree that the public has no legal obligation to appear on TV.

But the blanket thing did seem a bit ridiculous. I don't have a problem with saying the 12-year-old is a bit too tender to be hit by the media machine, but someone - family and/or law enforcement - owes the public, which paid a bunch of cash to find this kid, a detailed explaination of what happened. Not the simple, "He was homesick," that we've gotten, so far.

There is more to this story and that's what we, as the fiduciaries of the taxpayers, are owed.

[Run's House]

Originally posted by MOCR:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Run's House:
...No, seriously, TV stations have a legal requirement to notify the public in certain situations, i.e. EBS/Amber Alerts...Umm, no they don't. Show me the FCC regs on that one. Notifying the public is called public service, and it usually tends to be a ratings boon, but not a legal requirement. Participation in EAS is voluntary.</font>[/QUOTE]Neither of our characterizations are terribly accurate. Yes it is true that you can be a non-participant in the EAS, however, if you choose to be a participant then you are REQUIRED to follow certain guidelines about warnings. Furthermore, even if you are not a participant you still have to have EAS equipment on site and you have to cease transmission if a federal alert (rare) is issued.

[Signature on File]

It takes a long time to build up a relationship with law enforcement. You can have several great "sources of information", but all it takes is one "green" reporter trying to make it to the network, to screw up your contacts. And remember, if you are at a scene and the suspect needs a good beating.....turn your camera off! The cops really appreciate it.

[ March 26, 2007, 07:53 AM: Message edited by: Signature on File ]