Most public information officers (PIOs) and police spokespersons have a stable relationship with the media and a policy of openness and cooperation. When a newsworthy event occurs, PIOs should disseminate facts to the public as quickly as possible by bringing them to the attention of the media. To accomplish this, PIOs frequently use a news briefing. Pre-interview planning for the news briefing should involve analyzing the audience, anticipating questions, making a story interesting, and conducting a post-interview critique. PIOs can improve performance effectively by critically examining and critiquing their own actions and reactions after conducting a news briefing. In addition, PIOs should consider occasionally video recording a news briefing for later review to identify mannerisms or responses that can be improved to result in a more effective news briefing. 1 photograph