Journalists listed alongside extremists on police list
JOURNALISTS are being grouped alongside criminals and members of extremist organisations as part of secret guidance issued to all police forces.
Rules by the College of Policing require all officers to declare any associations they have with people who could put them at risk of corruption.
This includes friends and relatives suspected of involvement in criminality as well as people they know who are members of extremist groups. But it has emerged that members of the media are also considered to be a corruption risk and are included on the list of “notifiable associations”.
Details of the secretive Authorised Professional Practice guidance only emerged recently when a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services into how the Metropolitan Police was tackling corruption criticised the force for not having enforced the policy.
The Society of Editors and the Crime Reporters Association have written to the College urging them to remove journalists from the list and reminding them of the important part the media plays in helping to bring offenders to justice.
The letter, copied to Sir Mark Rowley, the incoming commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, states: “The inclusion of journalists within a ‘notifiable associations’ list in counter-corruption guidance gives the wrongful impression that reporters seek to corrupt or deceive, and equates the profession with the wrongdoing and dishonesty that journalists work to uncover.
“A successful working relationship between the police service and journalists is vital to policing legitimacy and as the new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley prepares to take office and seeks to improve public confidence in the force, the public’s perception of the police’s relationship with the media is just as important as the relationship itself.”
A spokesman for the College of Policing said: “Journalists have an important role in holding police to account and supporting the service with news stories including appeals for information.
“There is a public expectation for the police to have policies in place to protect sensitive information held by the police which can include details of members of the public and police operations. This includes a requirement to declare any potential conflicts of interest in order to be open and transparent, as well as mitigate any risks that may arise.
“The guidance given to police forces should not impede healthy relationships between the police and the media. We are working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to review the guidance and will listen very carefully to any issues raised by the media.”