For police leaders, public safety should always be top of mind, including when it comes to critical messaging—and who should receive those messages. If the public is not the audience for communications during a critical incident, is the focus truly on public safety?
Adapting Communication Methods to Today’s Audience
Think back to some of the major public safety events that have unfolded in the past few decades compared to ones that have taken place more recently.
How did most people learn about the Waco siege in 1993, the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, or the 9/11 attacks in 2001? Likely, people got information from television news, the radio, or from another person. However, how did most people learn about the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 or the Uvalde school shooting in 2022? Many members of the public probably learned of these events from social media.
Facebook opened to the public in 2006. To some, this may seem like a long time ago. In the past two decades, social media has changed how people learn about what is taking place in the world and even what is happening in their own communities. According to Pew Research study in 2020, more than 8 in 10 people in the United States get their news from digital devices, including social media apps.1
Decades ago, the media, including TV networks, radio stations, and newspapers, were needed to communicate information to the public. Today, that is not the case. Understanding how people consume their news and where they get it from is extremely important when it comes to communicating during critical incidents.
The Media Is Not the Audience
The decision of how to communicate impacts both public safety and the agency’s credibility. During a crisis situation, the media should not be the primary audience for the police. Instead, police agencies should focus their attention and energy on informing and communicating with the public by using social media. The approach of focusing on communicating with the media or saying nothing may have worked in the 1990s. But in today’s age of continuous information flow, police agencies should utilize social media to communicate directly to the public.
This is an issue of public safety because, in a crisis, every second matters. Waiting on traditional third-party media to share critical information could impact resident safety and could risk lives. Additionally, what police agencies share on social media is typically picked up by the media and reshared on their platforms, thus increasing the reach of the message.
The communication strategy is also an issue of agency credibility. Releasing information on social media during and following an incident allows people visiting the agency’s social media pages to learn information directly from accurate sources. Silence, on the other hand, will result in the void being filled with misinformation, false information, and insecurities. Misinformation and false information can result in distrust of police and civil disorder—which could have been avoided if accurate and timely information were shared with the public about incidents. Again, public safety depends on it.
Getting a message out quickly can be challenging. Those in charge of communications should have messages drafted for various types of critical incidents and should ensure multiple people have access to the social media platforms, even if the backup person is from another agency.
The Internal Audience
When there is not an immediate public safety threat to the public such as an active shooter, agency members should release information internally to its members before sharing information with the media or general public. Even if a basic notification and details are shared mere minutes before being released to the public, sharing the information internally must be done. Doing this shows the agency’s members that they are valued. This should not be seen as an opportunity to boost morale; however, not prioritizing the agency’s personnel can certainly hurt morale during a critical incident.
Share the Process
Oftentimes during critical incidents, there are details that cannot be shared because of an ongoing investigation or because the information simply isn’t available. This is not an excuse to remain silent. When the details of an investigation cannot be shared, police leaders can discuss the process.
Keep in mind, explaining the investigative process involves much more than saying “it is under investigation.” For much of the public, their knowledge of investigations is limited to what they have seen on television or in movies. Explaining the investigative process allows an agency to engage with the public while building credibility and trust.
Traditional Media Should Not Be Forgotten
While it is important to focus on the department’s social media pages to communicate directly with the public, this does not equate to ignoring traditional media. The media—particularly local media—still have a key role in communicating information to members of the community. When time permits, police agencies should still provide briefings or interviews with the media as those outlets remain an important avenue to communicate the agency’s message. The media will also find others to speak with if the police aren’t open to sharing. The agency should have a plan for communicating during and following a crisis and communicate that plan to the media in advance. This will help establish expectations and maintain relationships. When the time comes, give local media the first opportunity at interviews. They will be there when the crisis is over and the national media leaves. Local media will be there when the agency wants coverage of positive events in the future.
Bottom Line
During and following critical incidents, it is important for police agencies to ensure they are communicating information to the public. While traditional media can be a medium for communicating information, the most direct way of communicating is through social media. Getting the message out directly from the source is important to avoid miscommunication and, more importantly, to promote public safety. d
Notes:
1Elisa Shearer, “More Than Eight-in-Ten Americans Get News from Digital Devices,” Pew Research Center, January 12, 2021.
Please cite as:
Shane Foley, “Reaching the Right Audience: Directing Critical Communications,” Police Chief Online, February 26, 2025.
