A new ‘Policing and Media Charter’ has been launched this week in what is being dubbed “a significant milestone in the biggest reset of the relationship between policing and the media in decades” by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
The NPCC stated that the charter is the first of its kind and has been designed for both policing and journalists to use, setting “shared principles, standards and expectations that will create national consistency”.
The main goal of the charter is to “rebuild and strengthen” the relationship between policing and the media.
Chief constable Gavin Stephens, Chair of the NPCC, said: “Policing needs open and honest communication with the public, and the media has a central role to play in this, especially in fast-moving or sensitive situations. This ground-breaking charter represents the willingness of policing and the media to come together to build mutual trust and bring about meaningful change in how we work together.”
A major focus of the new charter is a need for “agile and responsive communication” to prevent panic, false rumors and speculation taking hold, particularly on social media.
As a result, police forces will commit to sharing as much information as possible on an attributable basis. The charter states that their press offices must be “accessible, publicly advertise their phone numbers and email addresses, answer calls, and have press officers identify themselves by name”.
The charter was developed following the publication of the College of Policing’s independent review into the investigation following the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, which attracted unprecedented levels of mainstream and social media interest.
It also establishes that the term ‘off the record’ should be avoided, replacing it with four clear categories of conversation: reportable, non-reportable, under embargo, and for use but non-attributable.
Once a suspect has been charged with an offence, the charter states that the police should definitively name them and provide their age, address, and court dates, unless there is an exceptional policing purpose or reporting restriction.
It also says that police press offices should “endeavour to release pictures, CCTV, and video evidence to the media on the same day it is shown to a jury”.
Furthermore, the charter clarifies that these access guidelines and dedicated media briefings apply specifically to accredited journalists who hold a valid UK Press Card or a recognised editor’s letter.
Citizen journalists, social media content gatherers, and ‘auditors’ do not automatically receive these privileges and are handled on a case-by-case, risk-assessed basis.
Dawn Alford, chief executive of the Society of Editors, said: “The relationship between journalists and the police is central to ensuring the public receives accurate and timely information about crime and policing. This charter represents a genuine effort from both policing and the media to rebuild trust and improve the way we work together in the public interest.”
The charter is the result of over two years of collaborative work from the NPCC, College of Policing, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Crime Reporters Association (CRA), Society of Editors and Media Lawyers Association (MLA).
Contained as an annexe in the charter are the recommendations to policing that were proposed by the CRA, Society of Editors and MLA in a report published in 2024. Almost all of these recommendations have now been accepted by policing.
Rebecca Camber, chair of the CRA, added: “Two years ago, the Crime Reporters Association made a series of recommendations kickstarting a vital conversation between policing and the media about rebuilding trust.
“I’m delighted that the police have listened and together we have produced a groundbreaking charter which I hope will make a real difference to journalists, police and press officers everywhere.”