 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Parley's aim: more 'positive' police news
By LEANORA MINAI © St. Petersburg Times, published September 16, 2000 ST. PETERSBURG -- Aiming to polish the department's image, police administrators will meet with news reporters Tuesday to push positive stories. They hope the two-hour seminar will lure reporters to the less controversial side of police agency coverage -- the safety fairs, the DUI roadblocks, the new police cruisers. "One thing is to get everybody talking and let everybody know about some of the neat things going on in the department and to get some interest in running some of the good things we are doing," said Rick Stelljes, police spokesman. The city's police department has had its share of turbulent times. There are the continuing arguments between the chief and police union, and the Times has sued the city to obtain records of an investigation of police Lt. Donnie Williams, who was accused of dealing drugs in 1998 yet promoted during the inquiry. The forum, titled "Creating a Positive Police Image for St. Petersburg," starts at 11 a.m. in the police training building, 1301 First Ave. N. The invitation-only lunch will cost the city $100. The idea grew from a police department retreat in January when residents and mostly police officers gathered to set goals for the year. At the time, police said the media downplays the good things and plays up the negative. But while news media representatives said they were willing to talk about more positive coverage, the idea was received coolly. "Are we supposed to create that image for them?" asked Kent Harrell, news director at Bay News 9. "It's not our job to do their PR." Police Chief Goliath Davis III and police spokesman Stelljes said the seminar is meant to build relationships and remind reporters that there are explanatory scoops to do about police work to educate residents. "I'm not trying to say don't write about the fact that some guy was disciplined," Davis said. "I'm looking for the context story," the chief continued. "People in the police department do good, positive things for members of the community that you just don't see. I don't consider that to be a PR piece." An editor at WFLA-Ch. 8 said reporters cover positive events with news angles. "TV news gets a rap for doing nothing but negative news, but we strive to do positive news," said Doug Anderson, the station's assignment manager. "I just think a lot of times people generalize and don't remember the positive stories we do." Media experts say the seminar is a good idea. "But both sides of the table have to be open," said Kenneth Killebrew, an assistant professor of mass communications at the University of South Florida. Each news story is different, he said. While a news organization might provide balanced coverage, people have a tendency to recall the controversial events -- the civil disturbances or the disciplinary shake-up in the narcotics unit. "It's not good news, bad news," Killebrew said. "It's just news." A journalist's role is to inform and educate. And to be a watchdog, forcing public officials to think about the way they do things, he said. And officials should expect journalists to be fair and accurate, he added. "But they have to recognize that the journalist has the responsibility to report the facts as they happen," Killebrew said. "The police department can't expect the newspaper and TV stations to fold up their criticism tents and go away." - Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times South Pinellas desks |
