Cebu City Cops Undergo Media Relations Seminar

Front liners of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) participated in a Media Relations Workshop conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Cebu recently to effectively carry out their mandate of bringing the police closer to the community.

The workshop was attended by CCPO police community relations (PCR) and desk officers from Police Stations 1 to 11 in the hope of countering the bad news that is affecting the morale and reputation of the members of the police force.

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

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

During the workshop, the participants learned about the importance of communicating law enforcement as a profession and as an advocacy, determining what is worth writing and reporting in the police station, and 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 participants were also 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.

The activity also formed part of the culmination of the Police Community Relations Month. (fcc/PIA7-Cebu)