Can Media And Law Enforcement Get Along?
EL PASO, Texas — It’s the job of the media to get the story, but can we do that and also work side-by-side with law enforcement? In tense situations, it can be a fine line that both parties sometimes cross.
David Crowder, president of the El Paso Press Club who has been a reporter for decades. He said he found the video of the confrontation between a police sergeant and an ABC-7 news crew surprising.
Crowder said he has been in similar situations himself over the years and says the press needs to remember who is in charge. Unless you are certain that you are in the right as a reporter, you need to remember who is in charge and follow what authorities tell you or risk arrest.
However, Chris Ryan, a media relations specialist who trains law enforcement to deal with the media, said the officer’s reaction was not appropriate: “These situations are so heated. The officers are dealing with a lot of different things and I think in this particular instance it looks like maybe he lost a little bit of focus. I saw him giving an order but it needs to be a lawful order.”
Both Crowder and Ryan say hopefully the local media and the El Paso Police Department can learn from this confrontation and use it as a tool to move forward in a positive way.
