Media Blitz

Many large-scale incidents have demonstrated that the local, regional and national press can arrive very quickly at your agency, set up shop and begin reporting on every aspect of your operations. Being a 24-hour operation, having telehones and talkative personnel, public safety comm centers are particularly suspceptible to the effects of the media's arrival.

An infamouse March 2007 murder trial in Calumet County (Wisc.) demonstrated the extent to which the press covers these events, and how the Sheriff's Department handled the event.

Thanks to Lt. Kelly Sippel for the photographs.

Here is the parade of trucks that arrived to cover the murder trial. There are both microwave trucks (the taller masts with the smaller dishes) and satellite trucks (larger dishes). The trucks have to park adjacent to the event area so they can run cable to their cameras and other electronics. These parking spaces probably belong to judges on a normal day.

Obviously, the parking lot couldn't accommodate all the trucks, so this one ended up on a city street in front of the courthouse.

The media room, where print and electronic media are monitoring the trial on monitors. Notice the wires dropping from the ceiling for power and other connections. In particular, notice the power panel on the far wall, and how it has about 30 connections to it.

Another view of the media room, showing the various areas that TV stations carved out, with banners used for the background of their reports. On the right, trash and recycling cans for the media (another consideration!).

Notice all the electronic gear in the room, including the phone connections on the folding chair in the foreground, and wires taped down to the floor.

A closer view of the individual TV station areas, showing their background banners and overhead lighting attached to the drop ceiling. The woman on the right in blue is sitting at a portable video editing console. Much of the equipment was left in place each night, requring the room to be secure between trial sessions.

This is "The Guy" that you have to post adjacent to the media room to control personnel--members of the press who try to wander into restricted areas, members of the public who wander into the media room, etc. Security is an important element of a media presence. In this case, a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper is providing security and assistance.