The Associated Press Stylebook offers this guidance for the adjective police- or officer-involved:
Avoid this vague jargon for shootings and other cases involving police. Be specific about what happened. If police use the term, ask for detail. How was the officer or officers involved? Who did the shooting? If the information is not available or not provided, spell that out.
Local newspaper, television, and radio headlines failed to follow this basic advice, instead parroting the official release from the City of Iowa City headlined “DCI investigating Iowa City Officer-involved shooting“:
The Gazette: Iowa DCI investigating Iowa City officer-involved shooting
KCRG: Iowa DCI investigating Iowa City officer-involved shooting
KCJJ: DCI investigating Iowa City officer-involved shooting
The stylebook further offers this guidance around initial reports, emphasis added:
Be cautious about initial news releases or statements from law enforcement or other officials. Accounts by police, especially in the hours just after a crime, are very incomplete and can be inaccurate, whether about specific details or about motivations behind the crime. Press for details and substantiation: How do authorities know? If key details aren’t known or can’t be confirmed, say so in the story.
Attribute carefully and thoroughly.
If descriptions change, say so. For example: The police chief initially said the shooting was not a hate crime, without explaining that conclusion, but later said she believed the victim’s race was the motivation. She said the suspect had posted racist rants on social media.
Also remember that police may release information before officials review footage from body cameras, dashboard cameras, surveillance cameras or bystanders’ cameras. What they see later in that footage may change the story.
That’s why it is crucial to always work to verify and corroborate official accounts by talking to witnesses, victims, relatives and other sources. Use verified or vetted user-generated content to give you eyes and ears on the ground if you can’t be at the scene. Look for livestreamed videos and call nearby homes and businesses to find additional details for your coverage.
Local newspaper, television, and radio headlines also failed to follow this basic advice, instead parroting the official release language that the police “observed the subject with the knife making threatening statements and gestures”:
Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City police shoot, kill person wielding knife
The Daily Iowan: IC police officers shot and killed person armed with knife
Iowa News Now: Iowa City police officers shot and kill person armed with a knife
KWWL: Iowa City police shoot suspect armed with knife on Southgate Ave
Only one local outlet seemed to tread carefully and follow this simple guidance:
Little Village: Iowa City Police Department officers fatally shoot a person while responding to call Tuesday evening
I appreciate you, Paul Brennan.