Cebu City cops undergoes Media Relations

Police front liners of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) underwent Media Relations Workshop recently to effectively carry out their mandate of bringing the police closer to the community.

In the hope of countering the bad news that is affecting the morale and reputation of the members of the police force, CCPO police community relations and desk officers from Police Stations 1-11,  underwent a day seminar conducted by the Philippine Information Agency- Cebu.

Police Chief Inspector Keith Allen Andaya, Chief PCR Cebu in his welcome remarks said the police still has a long way to go when it comes to writing and reaching out to the media.

“We must learn how to write press releases properly and understand how the media works,” Andaya said.

 The participants were first told on the importance of communicating law enforcement as a profession and as an advocacy.

It is followed with determining what’s worth writing and reporting in the police station followed by a discussion on the different modes of “storytelling”.

These include Press Releases for Print and Broadcast, Social Media, Conduct of a Press Conference and Conduct of an Event.

They underwent a workshop on writing press releases and had an actual reporting for broadcast using the day’s event as topic.

The second half of the day, the participants were then made to understand the nature of the media and how unique Cebu media is from the rest of  the country.

It ended with tips on how to build and maintain the relationship between media and the police.

PO1 Emelita Tamosa of Police Station 6 said she learned that it is necessary to have a crisis communication conference prior to the conduct of an operation to foresee any negative result.

“It is also necessary to have details prepared in order to communicate it properly and accurately,” Tamosa said.

CCPO is currently in hot water by the media after one of their colleagues got killed for doing a surveillance. 

The activity also formed part of the culmination of the Police Community Relations (PCR) Month.