Why is the Police not talking to LSH?

In September 2012, this newspaper emailed the police requesting that LSH is added to their email list so that we can receive all press communiqués from the police. 

The last time we received a press release from the police was on the 30^th of June 2012. Our email was never acknowledged and we continued not to receive any communication from the institution which claims to serve without fear or favour.

Then in January this year, LSH followed up on the request we initially sent four months prior. Only this time around we also copied the email to the Chief Press Secretary in the Office of the President, Srdjana Janosevic. 

Again we expressed our interest in covering and following police stories, especially to post them as ‘breaking news’ on our Facebook page. We also informed the police Public Relation Officer, Jean Toussaint that we wanted to introduce a ‘Police File’ section in the newspaper in 2013 and would therefore; appreciate if we received regular updates about the organization. 

Once again our request went unanswered.

Whilst the Government’s financed media are being used to pump out propaganda by trying to convince the public that crime is falling and our streets are safer than before, LSH wanted to establish a relationship with the police whereby we could report on their successes, but also have access to officers to substantiate any claims the public made.

LSH is well aware of the pressure the force is under from the Government to hit “public confidence” targets and reduce the “fear of crime”. But that does not mean we should allow the police to take control of the newspaper, through one sided reports and failing in our journalistic duties to ask questions that matter.

The police should realize that gone are the days when the state financed media was the only means of communicating broadly. The need is ever present to vary the audiences exposure in a wide range of media is vital.

Meanwhile we are still waiting for a press communiqué from the police.