It’s nothing new – law enforcement and media don’t naturally mix. 

Like combining oil and water an emulsifier is necessary to overcome natural barriers.

Alexandria’s police chief is in a snit over what he labels incorrect and/or misleading information posted by one of a wave of digital media organizations.

The organization in turn stands by its efforts to inform its followers and the accuracy of those reports.

Rules, whatever they are, of police reporting have changed. Incidents and activities are posted as soon as they are detected, with or without details, story (maybe) to come. 

While officers are scrambling to find out what may have happened where, social media sites are broadcasting from the scene, or thereabouts.

Being first (nothing new in the news game) with the post seems to be a tenet of the coverage, with or without much information.

As long as there is no public safety issue the coverage is little more than an irritant to one side and an adrenaline rush for the other.

What happens next is where the immiscible nature of the parties becomes an issue.

“Instant” news sites want information now, ASAP, and view delay as a runaround. Their followers are onboard.

Police want, or need, time to sort out what has happened, what can be or must be told.

Not being privy to how the different agencies handle media or how different media handle the agencies, an old-fashioned suggestion:

Each agency needs a designated go-to officer whose day includes a fixed access time for media inquiry and who has authority to provide or get case/incident information. That officer is also first contact on breaking news; Media sources should read the public record daily, online or at the department involved, culling from it anything it wants to ask about.

A commitment is required from both the oil and the water; each having to devote precious man hours to do what both say they are after — keeping the public informed.