The true value in a PIO is being able to see that a bad story could break before it happens, then make sure it doesn't. They work really hard on building relationships and maintaining them. These relationships are fostered so that they can have an open dialogue with the media and this is absolutely invaluable in an emergency or a crisis when you need all the support you can get.
It's not just about writing a press release and giving out lines to the media. Good PIOs are hyper-aware of what's going on, not just in their own town or city but nationally and internationally. Having this awareness will help you if it looks like you're heading towards a tone-deaf statement or if there's trouble in the distance.
PIOs can be a trusted advisor, and that is what's key - trust that goes in both directions. Lean on them to be your eyes and ears so you can improve your leadership skills by listening to what they know and what they have to say. READ: Why empathy is crucial in modern communications. Just because you're a leader it doesn't make you a natural presenter and it's only when people do it for the first time that they appreciate how hard it can be to speak on live TV or be bombarded by questions from a crazy deadline-driven media pack.
Experienced PIOs do this so regularly that they make it look easy, because that's their job. Every day, for every person an officer on the street may encounter, that number could easily be multiplied for public information officers in online space.
Their digital audience goes well beyond the in-person interactions, with potentially thousands of people looking on as an agency responds to ongoing conversations in threads on sites including Facebook, Twitter, or Nextdoor.
Nearly 95 percent of U. But beyond being a communications champion, public information officers are so much more. They are masters of all, honing skills in multiple fields, compared to most professionals who achieve mastery in only one or two.
People interact with private sector companies in a digital space regularly, and as such, they establish expectations that the level of customer service should be the same with the public sector; essentially, law enforcement, a customer service profession, will inevitably be compared against the experiences people have with private sector companies. Therefore, every skill is another step toward balancing the scales for helping others hear and understand the work and the story of a law enforcement agency.
As a public information officer is tasked with helming the online communication channels for an agency, it is imperative that an agency fills the role with someone who has expertise in messaging and responsiveness during crises. Details, recaps, and more must be carefully thought out and easy for a reader to digest. This is not necessarily a skill that is easily obtained, with emotions coming in to play in moments where fear and uncertainty can overwhelm the dissemination of facts.
A public information officer who is a digital native, who can assess tone and predict nuances in text alone, will excel where many others would fail. These individuals are digital risk managers—they serve as the conduit between an agency and the public while simultaneously allowing agency personnel to do their jobs effectively by stepping up to answer the incoming deluge of inquiries from the public.
Agencies across the globe have public information officers and social media managers who are handling tasks under fire with incredible grace and authority. The New Zealand Police social media team, for example, displayed incredible resolve as the horrors of the Christchurch attack unfolded in March In a rapid succession of tweets, the agency quickly and effectively shared information while the incident tragically unfolded, providing much needed updates that helped inform the public—and the rest of the watching world—about what was happening and what officers were seeing in real time.
As the Jacksonville Landing Mass Shooting unfolded during a live-streamed video game tournament, the public information officer took total control of the process of disseminating information. The public information officer repeatedly and effectively acted as if each statement sent out on social media was a shortened version of a press release, creating a stream of critical pieces of information for public consumption.
In these moments, it cannot be stressed enough that those who wield the power to share information should be those who understand how to navigate digital channels and speak on behalf of an agency in a way that conveys authority as well as empathy and community.
Those who become the digital point of contact for the public in a crisis help assuage concerns; share helpful tips or insights; and keep trolls, bullies, or those who lack understanding at bay. Or a marketing degree. I am a stereotypical city management professional, having risen through the ranks from intern to city manager, and now serving in a role that provides managerial support while also serving as the Public Information Officer and directing all communications for the organization.
Despite the many tools that PIOs have at their disposal, it is often difficult to successfully accomplish the task of keeping the public informed about their community. For example, I recently issued a press release to provide the community with an important but lengthy update on an ongoing legal battle that has faced the community.
The newspaper, with whom we have a close working relationship, decided to run the piece word-for-word despite its lengthiness. Is able to redirect negative questions and turn them around. Returns calls and answers e-mails from the media.
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