Police chiefs will today announce a commitment to a new era of openness with the public about their investigations.
In a groundbreaking charter, officers of all ranks will be actively encouraged to speak to journalists providing more information about major investigations.
It comes after an unprecedented agreement between police and media bodies which will lead to forces releasing more details about arrests, ongoing investigations and prosecutions in a bid to combat online rumours and misinformation damaging public trust.
The Policing and Media Charter is being described as the biggest reset in the relationship between policing and the media in decades, reversing the chilling effect of the Leveson Inquiry, which left many officers afraid to speak about their investigations.
As part of the agreement, forces will have to consider releasing a suspect’s nationality and ethnicity on arrest, providing regular updates in inquiries and being more open about police misconduct.
In one of the biggest changes, forces have agreed to publish photographs of all criminals handed custodial sentences for the first time.
The charter states that ‘engagement between police and the media is encouraged for officers and staff of all ranks and roles’ with the head of the National Police Chiefs Council, Gavin Stephens saying ‘accredited journalism remains one of the most powerful tools we have to bring offenders to justice and keep the public informed’.
The ‘landmark’ reforms follow recommendations by the Crime Reporters Association and the Society of Editors after an independent review into the case of missing mother Nicola Bulley concluded that trust between the media and police was broken.
The Policing and Media Charter is being described as the biggest reset in the relationship between policing and the media in decades. Pictured: A police officer is filmed by journalists at a press conference (File image)
As a result, misinformation has gone unchallenged in some high-profile cases, shaking public confidence in policing.
Merseyside Police was heavily criticised for failing to tackle misinformation which led to riots in the wake of Axel Rudakubana’s murder of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.
Now the charter, which is the first joint agreement by policing and media, will set out new standards on the release of information.
It is the result of two years of collaboration between the NPCC, College of Policing, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Crime Reporters Association, Society of Editors and Media Lawyers Association to agree guidance for both police and journalists.
Following the talks, police have also changed their own guidance for officers around the release of information and the CPS has created a new media protocol urging prosecutors to provide more material from cases.
Mr Stephens said: ‘For more than a decade, the legacy of the Leveson Inquiry has cast a long, chilling shadow over the relationship between policing and the media.
‘What began as a vital corrective to abuses of power also had unintended consequences. Officers grew wary of speaking publicly, and the 2023 review into the handling of the Nicola Bulley missing persons investigation made this painfully clear.
‘We could not allow that dynamic to continue. A police service that withdraws from public communication risks losing the very thing it relies upon to police by consent – trust.’
Sir Andy Marsh, chief executive of the College of Policing said: ‘This is a landmark moment for the relationship between police and the media which will give the public confidence that what they are hearing is accurate and verified.
‘The media plays a vital role in our work, including publicising our urgent appeals to the public, scrutinising our decisions and holding us to account.’
Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions said: ‘This Charter is another important step in strengthening how prosecutors work with policing and the media to build public understanding and confidence in the criminal justice system.’
Chair of the Crime Reporters Association and the Daily Mail’s Crime and Security Editor, Rebecca Camber who instigated the reforms said: ‘This charter has the potential to fundamentally transform the relationship between police and the media, which remains essential to public confidence and policing legitimacy in the UK.
‘Two years ago, the Crime Reporters Association made a series of recommendations kickstarting a vital conversation between policing and the media about rebuilding trust.
‘Together we have produced a groundbreaking charter which I hope will make a real difference to journalists, police and press officers everywhere.’
Dawn Alford, chief executive of the Society of Editors added: ‘When information flows well between policing and professional journalists, the public benefits.’
