Media Masterpiece
Beck personally addressed
By Bill Rams
the situation
LAPD’s crisis communications effort is worthy of second look
The Christopher Dorner manifesto and manhunt
presented the Los Angeles Police Department with
an unimaginable nightmare scenario.
And from a public relations perspective, Chief
Charlie Beck and his team performed admirably
under intense pressure.
Critics who say LAPD hasn’t changed enough since
the Rodney King beating and Rampart scandals
should pay close attention to what the chief and his
commanders said and did – and how they said and
did it.
Crisis management, media relations and
transparency are hot topics among law enforcement
leaders for good reason. New social media tools
have enabled the most savvy critics to broadcast
messages instantaneously to huge audiences,
providing a louder and sometimes more persuasive
voice in the public debate. The tools are coming of
age during one of the v?'7BV6????W2????7F?'???W???W2&?V?B?b6?6???VF?W6W'2??f?VV?6??p???7???W'2?BF?RG&F?F???????7G&V??VF?'?6??FV????rv?fW&??V?BvV?W&???@??rV?f?&6V?V?B6?&?W2?V?6???2?BF7F?70?7V6?f?6????F?&?W"v6?( ?B?N( ?2f?'7B???"V&?2&V?F???2FW7@?GW&??rF?R6?6???VF?W&?F?B6?R2?ff?6W'0?&W&VBF?FV6??67W??&?FW7FW'2??#??GW&??r6???"FV6??V?G2V?6Wv?W&R?&?FW7FW'0?6?6?VBv?F???6R???N( ?2Vff?'B( 2?6?V?FW"?F?????VF???7&?66?R?v26???F?W"?F???2??'BF??7G&FVw??b???F????rg&?V?F?&?'Bv?F???67W?W'2?F?V?"F7F?72V&?VB66??FW2??( ??R?fRF?w&VRF??2?2??B??W"w&?FfF?W.( ?0??B?( ?6????R&?6R?6?f??&?v?G2GF?&?W??B?@??'6W'fW"?F??BF?R??2?vV?W2F??W2BF?RF??R??f?6?f?'v&BF?fV"?r?F?R??&???rgFW"F?&?W.( ?0????fW7F?vV?BV&?2??vV?V??2v??RF??Ww0?F?B?B?ff?6W'2?76?v?VBF?wV&B??R?bF?&?W.( ?0???VvVBF&vWG2??7F?V??6??BGv???7??0??Ww7W"FV?fW'?v??V???6?FR?V&?VP?F???FF6???6??Vb6?&?R&V6?????????&V???BF?R&FvP??F?&?W"?v??v2&?6??BvV?v?VB#s?V?G2??v2G&?f??rw&???76?F?F??7v?gF???f7GV???@?6??vVBV?F???&V6?W'6????FG&W76VBF?R6?GVF???7v?gF???f7GV???B6??vVBV?F???F?R?ff?6W'2vW&P?wV&F??r??v??&?6?F&vWB??R6?B??BF?&?W.( ?0?G'V6?v2&W?'FVF?7?GFVB?V&'??2vR?????Wr'?F?V??F?&?W"v267W6VB?b?????rF?P?FVv?FW"?bf?&?W"?B6F???B?W"f??6R??&?fW'6?FR??6R?ff?6W"?6???F??rGv??F?W"?ff?6W'0??B?V?F??r6WfW&??V?&W'2?b?B?BF?V? ?f??W2??&V6????v??VBF?F?Rv??V??B6??VBF?P?6???F??r( ?G&v?2?6??FW'&WFF????( ?F?Rf????v??p?F???R???V?6VBF?B???&?f?B76?6?FVBv?F???Bv?V?BW&6?6RF?Rv??V??WrG'V6???F?W2&V6?( ?2&W7??6RW?7W6RF?R?ff?6W'2?b?76?&?P?V??6??V?B?7&?????"?F?W'v?6S??b6?W'6P???B?F?B?B?V?FV???7G&FR??r66'??Bv2???F?R7G&VWG2f?"??6R?ff?6W'2?&V??r?V?FVB'??6??V&?G?v?F???6R?B??F'?&6?w&?V?C??F?B?B6V?B?W76vRF?B?B6&W3?7???72???V?&&?R?'WB?N( ?2?V6?&WGFW"&W7??6RF????F??p?&V???B???FW&???ff?'2??fW7F?vF?????"??@?FG&W76??rF?R?77VRB?????Bv?B&?WBF?&?W.( ?26?&R??VvF???2&?WB??0?f?&??r?B7V?GW&R?b&6?6???FW7?FR6?f?&???r?v??6??2W?G&V?V?&W7G&?7F?fP?&Vv&F??r??6RF?66???'??BW'6???V?&V6?&G2??&V6?F?F?( ?BGV6??"?W6?FFR??R6B??g&??B?b??R?bF?R&Vv???( ?2??7B&W7V7FV@???W&??7G2??4%2??4??En( ?2B?'fW???BgFW ????V?6??r?WrW???F????bF?Rf?&??r??P??7vW&VB????b?W"VW7F???2F?&V7F????0?&V6????rv2F??Vv?FgV??B7G&FVv?3??Rv6?( ?@?&V?V???r?BF?V6R????W"'WBF?V?7W&RF?P?7G&?FW2?B?2?FR??F?R6???V??G?( 2?@?'F?7V?&???F?Rg&?6???W&?6?6???V??G??( 2vW&R??B??7B?F?R??fRFV???7G&FVB&V6?( ?2?@??N( ?26???F?V?BF????F????rF?RV&?>( ?2G'W7@?B???V?Bv?V?&??B7F???v2&WV?&VB???6?V&????F?RF??W2V&?6?VBFWF??2g&??( ???6RF?66???'?&V6?&G>( ?F?B?ffW&VBF?P??N( ?2fW'6????bF?&?W.( ?2f?&??r?F?R7F?'???FV@?F?BF?&?W"F?F?( ?B6?????&?WB??27WW'f?6? ???VvVF???6???r??F7VffVB7W7V7Bf?"Gv??vVV?2?V?F??F?RF?gFW"6?RvfR????? ?W&f?&??6RWf?VF????F?R&V6?&G27VvvW7BF?@?F?&?W"?B??RF?w&??B?&??rF???27&VF?&??G??BF??Rv?V?f6V&???vW27W?'F??r????&VG?7F'FVB???rW??gFW"F?Rf?&Vf?v?BF?BV?F??FV?6?7BF?&?W"??2?fR???N( ?2?VFW'26??F??VVBF?V?vvRF?RV&?2???7&VF?fRv?2?F?W??V?B&W726??fW&V?6Rv?W&R?6F???B??2v?fR??g&?6???W&?6?6W&vV?B??F?67W76VB??r66'??Bv2F?&R??VB2F&vW@???F?R???fW7F??&V6??6?6BF?v?v?F??F??W0?6??V???7B?B&F????7BGB??'&?6????B??0?6??fW'6F???v?F??W"v2V&?6?VB2d???F?R??????6V7F????bF?RW"??F?B??FW'f?Wr?BF?R?F?W'2?&V6??B??0?6????FW'2F?F?( ?B??FR??BF?W?vW&V?( ?@?6??&F?fR?"FVfV?6?fR?F?W?&?f?FVBF?RV&?0?v?F???B?b??f?&?F?????&?fW76?????@?V?F?WF?2v??v??6??2v?BF?RV&?2W?V7G0?g&??F??6R7v?&?F?&?FV7B?B6W'fR?B?2W&f?&??6RF?B?2v?'F?7GVG???r?(
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