Media Relations for Law Enforcement-Rockford

 This course has been approved by ILETSB to meet the following  mandates:

Procedural  Justice 5.5 Hours

Legal Updates .5 Hours

Civil Rights .5 Hours

Crisis Intervention .5 Hours

Const/Proper use of Authority .5 Hours

DESCRIPTION

This two-day course teaches First Responders, Command Staff, and Public Information Officers how to build a successful media relations program, which gets their agency’s message to citizens through traditional and social media. The class combines lectures with hands-on exercises and includes on-camera training. Students encounter “crisis” scenarios and do full-scale “news conference briefings” on “breaking” news. Classmates play the role of aggressive reporters. Critiques and discussions will follow.

The course traces the development of news media and provides the history that has led to the emergence of social media as an important force. Students exchange “best practices” in the use of social media to promote their agencies’ objectives.

Participants learn how to:

· Be proactive in dealing with the news media

· Build trusting relationships with reporters & editors

· Stage and conduct successful press conferences

· Handle and control on-camera, on-microphone, and print interviews

· Write press releases which “shape” the story, and encourage coverage

· Manage media relations in a crisis when “it hits the fan”

· Enhance agency reputation by promoting the department’s good works

· Anticipate media demands and understand what drives coverage Participants are asked to bring laptops for writing assignments and to bring their agencies’ standard operating procedures (SOPs) for dealing with the media. Students are also asked to bring their own media horror stories to discuss how they could be better handled after training. Copyright note:

The workbook for this class is copyrighted.