The St. Louis Police Academy is teaching a course to help cops "win the media"

"The training is also highly entertaining"

Published September 22, 2014 8:49PM (EDT)

Police officers point their weapons at demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri, August 18, 2014.                                             (Reuters/Joshua Lott)
Police officers point their weapons at demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri, August 18, 2014. (Reuters/Joshua Lott)

Following Officer Darren Wilson's fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, and the ensuing protests in Ferguson, Missouri, the media descended like vultures upon the St. Louis suburb. The Ferguson Police Department was captured in a less-than-positive light.

Now, it seems that the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy will offer a course titled "Officer-Involved Shooting -- You Can Win With the Media."

The flier reads:

The shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer on August 9th in Ferguson, Missouri and the events that followed were tragic. In addition to the Ferguson case study, this fast-paced class is jam-packed with the essential strategies and tactics, skills and techniques that will help you WIN WITH THE MEDIA! It is practical training, not theoretical: Take what you learn and put it to work for you on the street right away! The training is also highly entertaining: numerous video clips illustrate key points, and there is NO PowerPoint! You will learn a lot and you'll have fun doing it! In addition to the detailed case study of Ferguson (including numerous practical tips for handling the media in an officer-involved shooting) topics will include:

  • Meet the 900-Pound Gorilla
  • DWI and the Media
  • Feeding the Animals
  • "No Comment" is a comment
  • Don't Get Stuck on Stupid!
  • Managing Media Assault and Battery
  • Managing the Media When Things Get Ugly (think Ferguson)
  • Managing the Media in a Crisis (including lessons learned from the Newtown, CT school shooting.)

 

[embedtweet id="513425725945565185"]

[embedtweet id="513427381068247040"]

The course posting has since been removed.


By Joanna Rothkopf

MORE FROM Joanna Rothkopf


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Ferguson Michael Brown Police St. Louis