Public representatives
Gill Shearer - Head of Marketing and Communications, Cumbria Police
The Press Complaints Commission has a crucial role in supporting members of the public dealing with the media at times of significant emotional distress such as the West Cumbria shootings in June 2010.
The PCC initially approached Cumbria Constabulary on 2nd June - the day of the shootings. However, it took a few days to establish a process where the necessary level of information was being passed from the communities, via the police, to make formal complaints. Feelings of intrusion were caused by a range of different media outlets at varying times, which further increased the distress to the families.
Since the shootings we have worked pro-actively with the PCC and the affected families to ensure the media knows which of the families do not want to be contacted by the journalists. To date this has worked well and has removed some of the distress that the families have felt when approached directly by the media.
Our work with the PCC will continue as we approach key times such as the first anniversary.
The impact and pressure of the media on the families and the communities of West Cumbria was completely overwhelming for many, and understandably so. In such high-profile situations I would urge the public - and organisations which represent the public - to make early contact with the PCC to help in trying to balance the right of journalists to report and the right of the shocked and the bereaved to avoid intrusion.
Perspectives such as this from Cumbria Police really help to demonstrate the reality of what can sometimes happen when a major news story breaks. We regularly speak to ordinary people at the centre of media stories, and understand the concerns that people have around being approached by journalists. In the past few years, we have doubled our efforts to ensure that people who may be feeling vulnerable as a result of their involvement in a newsworthy incident know how to contact us.
Although we can approach people directly, usually we will make contact via an intermediary such as the relevant police force. It follows that one of our most important ongoing initiatives is to maintain good contact with the police throughout the UK (as well as court services and those involved in bereavement support) to ensure that, if they are approached by someone for advice, they know how the PCC can help if they do not wish to speak (though, of course, many people do).
We have recently undertaken major revisions to our advice on dealing with media attention following a death. We hope this will enable us to explain better some of the practical implications of losing a loved one. Copies will be disseminated widely throughout the UK and you can also read the new text on our website.
‒ Press Complaints Commission