In its bid to stop negative reporting in the media Chennai city police has allegedly created a post called ‘Press in charge Officers’ apart from regular PR managers to manage the crime reporters of daily news papers in Tamil Nadu.
According to an internal circular issued by the Chennai city police, four senior cops have been given the task of “managing” 26 print reporters from 11 media houses in the city.
A copy of the circular which was accessed by The Indian Express, has upset the Chennai Union of Journalists (CUJ), which sent a petition to the Press Council of India (PCI) seeking action against city police commissioner S George. The union alleged that “press in charge officers” had been appointed despite the city police already having an in-house PR department.
A senior officer defended the move, saying that the idea was to reach out to crime reporters and keep them in “good humour.”
"There are no instructions or internal circular issued to any other effect, as reported in certain sections of the media. Such reports appearing are factually incorrect,” a release from the City Police said.
Since September 5, an Assistant Commissioner has been ‘put in-charge’ as PRO following the retirement of his predecessor, it said.
#Chennai city police assigns PR mangers to ‘Manage Media’ pic.twitter.com/knmyqVzuPo
— Press Release Watch (@PrReleaseWatch) September 10, 2014
According to an internal circular issued by the Chennai city police, four senior cops have been given the task of “managing” 26 print reporters from 11 media houses in the city.
A copy of the circular which was accessed by The Indian Express, has upset the Chennai Union of Journalists (CUJ), which sent a petition to the Press Council of India (PCI) seeking action against city police commissioner S George. The union alleged that “press in charge officers” had been appointed despite the city police already having an in-house PR department.
A senior officer defended the move, saying that the idea was to reach out to crime reporters and keep them in “good humour.”
"There are no instructions or internal circular issued to any other effect, as reported in certain sections of the media. Such reports appearing are factually incorrect,” a release from the City Police said.
Since September 5, an Assistant Commissioner has been ‘put in-charge’ as PRO following the retirement of his predecessor, it said.
