Newsroom
Bosnia and Herzegovina: transparency with media builds confidence in police work
SARAJEVO 8 June 2001
SARAJEVO, 8 June 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina concluded police-media training for the spokespersons and representatives of all police-related agencies from the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation and the Republika Srpska today. The training seminar was held in collaboration with the International Police Task Force of the United Nations (UN/IPTF) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Police have a very important role in keeping the public trust, perhaps more important that any other official body because the police have so much contact with the public," said Dr. Regan McCarthy, the Director of Media Affairs. "This is why police need spokespersons who can provide the public and the media with accurate, credible and timely information. Nothing can replace this in a democratic society."
During the course of the police training, participants reviewed international conventions on freedom of expression, the rights of witnesses and suspects, entity level criminal proceedings and regulations on release of information. Using new information technology such as CD-ROMs, an interactive multimedia training device, the participants learned about the latest trends in policing in Western democracies. They also participated in simulated crime scenes and were challenged to release information to the press at the scene and later in a press conference format.
"The training program was practical and designed to give participants practice and feedback in police-media relations. Police participated in many simulated crime scenes in which they were confronted with media presence," said Tanya Domi, the lead trainer and former spokesperson of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia. "Actor journalists asked real questions under a variety of conditions to give experience with prepared and unprepared media contacts that meet standards of western democracies."
This was the final session of the training for police spokespersons that also included two-day sessions held in Sarajevo and Banja Luka in mid-May. The police training represents a continuation of the OSCE initiative launched in March 2001 for the spokespersons of government institutions and designed to contribute to the development of effective and sound public information capacities in the BiH state-level/entity governmental institutions. UN/IPTF has collaborated on the preparations for police spokespersons' training.
The participation by governments' representatives in series of the OSCE training for spokespersons was high, with approximately 80 participants attending, including the two entities' Ministries of Interior and all main police units in both entities. The BiH and entity governments' training program covered the role of the Government/Ministries Spokespersons, developing press and public information materials and strategies, police-media relations, Web technology in public affairs, media relations, and other matters. Training sessions were facilitated by local and international experts.
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For more information please contact Sanela Tunovic, Acting Spokesperson, OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, tel. +387 33 292 338 or mobile +387 66 134 758.
"Police have a very important role in keeping the public trust, perhaps more important that any other official body because the police have so much contact with the public," said Dr. Regan McCarthy, the Director of Media Affairs. "This is why police need spokespersons who can provide the public and the media with accurate, credible and timely information. Nothing can replace this in a democratic society."
During the course of the police training, participants reviewed international conventions on freedom of expression, the rights of witnesses and suspects, entity level criminal proceedings and regulations on release of information. Using new information technology such as CD-ROMs, an interactive multimedia training device, the participants learned about the latest trends in policing in Western democracies. They also participated in simulated crime scenes and were challenged to release information to the press at the scene and later in a press conference format.
"The training program was practical and designed to give participants practice and feedback in police-media relations. Police participated in many simulated crime scenes in which they were confronted with media presence," said Tanya Domi, the lead trainer and former spokesperson of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia. "Actor journalists asked real questions under a variety of conditions to give experience with prepared and unprepared media contacts that meet standards of western democracies."
This was the final session of the training for police spokespersons that also included two-day sessions held in Sarajevo and Banja Luka in mid-May. The police training represents a continuation of the OSCE initiative launched in March 2001 for the spokespersons of government institutions and designed to contribute to the development of effective and sound public information capacities in the BiH state-level/entity governmental institutions. UN/IPTF has collaborated on the preparations for police spokespersons' training.
The participation by governments' representatives in series of the OSCE training for spokespersons was high, with approximately 80 participants attending, including the two entities' Ministries of Interior and all main police units in both entities. The BiH and entity governments' training program covered the role of the Government/Ministries Spokespersons, developing press and public information materials and strategies, police-media relations, Web technology in public affairs, media relations, and other matters. Training sessions were facilitated by local and international experts.
--
For more information please contact Sanela Tunovic, Acting Spokesperson, OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, tel. +387 33 292 338 or mobile +387 66 134 758.