What is News?

       American police departments have a media relations problem, and that problem is not limited to the various accusations and successions of distrust and conflict associated with police brutality and racial bias. Their problem goes to the heart of wearing a uniform –representative of a section of the government that can exercise a significant amount of power of the citizens—while engaging in public rhetoric of a subjective nature. For military service members who fall under the umbrella of the Department of Defense, wearing a uniform while publicly and dabbling in politics and opinions is forbidden. However, at the recent 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke recently stood affront a crowd of obviously political partisan individuals, wearing his uniform in full dress, and provided a clear “appearance” (Defense, 2008, pp 4.1.1.9.) of affiliating his governmental organization with a political party, its political candidates, and its political views (Massie, 2016). Similarly, in relation to the same party convention, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin D. Williams uttered words that appeared to question the laws of his state (Holley, 2016).  which is usually best left to lawmakers and politicians.

            According to Department of Defense Document 1344.10, military service members would not be allowed to conduct themselves in that manner publicly. Police officers and their organizations blur the line between civilian and non-civilian, and as these government officials mingle with politics through their media efforts are not doing anything to change the problem that police departments across the country are having with their public image. This study is to serve as a consult to police departments to better effect their image by mirroring the public affairs doctrine of the DoD and its military branches, who orient their media relations guidelines in sync with the Public Relations Society of America that pledges to “conduct [themselves] professionally, with truth, accuracy, fairness, and responsibility to the public” (PRSA, 2016).