Following a brief history of past relations between the police and the press, the text discusses what news really is and how various news organs go about gathering it and presenting it to the consuming public. The duties of a police public information officer (PIO) are outlined, as are criteria governing the selection process and training procedures. Additional guidelines cover writing a fair and effective press policy which the author considers essential for a truly professional law enforcement agency. The book also explains a step-by-step process for producing a factual news release in a form that will best serve all interests and the press spokesman's role as official representative of the police agency and its chief administrator. Other chapters focus on special and potentially tricky situations that probably will confront every PIO: arranging the press conference, handling the police misconduct story, and press relations on a disaster scene. Advice is given on tapping the gold mine of human interest or feature stories present in every law enforcement organization and police-press working relationships at the crime scene. The final sections examine the PIO's professional contacts with peers and superiors and a code of ethics to govern this difficult and occasionally uncomfortable job. Numerous examples, a glossary, 11 references, and an index are supplied.