Elizabeth Filkin report published
04 January 2012
The Elizabeth Filkin advice to the Metropolitan Police Service was published on 4 January.
The Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and Elizabeth Filkin today met representatives of the media at a press conference to share with them the results of her inquiry.
Elizabeth Filkin said: “I found there were a range of problems in the relationship between the MPS and the media and much needs to be done to make the necessary improvements. I am delighted to hear that the MPS is signed up to them.”
The work, commissioned by Sir Paul Stephenson prior to his resignation, and continued by Bernard Hogan-Howe when he took over as the Commissioner, reviewed the relationship between the MPS and the media.
Elizabeth Filkin met 137 people to collect evidence for the report, including people from the MPS, Metropolitan Police Authority, HMIC, IPCC, journalists, newspaper editors, people in business and politicians.
As a result of the research Elizabeth Filkin made seven findings and recommendations.
Elizabeth Filkin said: “A free press is essential to a democracy as it can provide scrutiny of public institutions, such as the MPS, and is essential in providing information about what the police do.
“It is critical for policing legitimacy that the MPS are as open and transparent as they can be and the media plays an important part in this. On occasions the MPS has not been open enough in providing the right information to the public.”
She recommends: “A senior team member should champion a new approach to providing public information.
“Reactive work involving the national press has dominated the agenda - the MPS must make better use of alternative routes for communicating with the public and to release much more information than in the past to both external and internal audiences.”
Elizabeth Filkin continued: “It is impossible for an organisation to control every contact with the media. Any proposed solution will rely on police officers and police staff 'living' a set of core principles and making judgements about their application.”
She said: “Police contact with the media should be 'permissible but not unconditional.' Police officers and staff are the best ambassadors for the organisation in providing information to the public. They are part of the public they serve. What is needed is clear guidance and accurate, transparent recording.
“In the past it has not been sufficiently clear to police officers and staff what principles should underpin contact with the media. Where relationships with the media appear partial or selective, this creates a serious problem which is damaging to public confidence and to the MPS.
“The MPS senior team needs to set a consistent example on the ethical standards they expect.”
She recommends that: “A senior team member should be responsible for initiating change in the way the MPS approaches ethics and integrity.”
She said: "I was impressed with how open the MPS was during my inquiry. I hope this report helps them bring about the necessary changes, and that my advice to police officers and staff on ethical relationships with the media assists." (The report includes practical guidance for police officers and staff.)
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: “This report was commissioned by the Met in acknowledgement of the fact that our relationship with the media needed to change; the findings will help us to identify areas that we need to consider.
"We have already started to adjust our relationship with the media, and moving forward we will need to ensure that we are more open and transparent, whilst balancing this with the need to retain confidentiality and respect the privacy of those who come into contact with the police.
"We need to show leadership from the top to implement new ways of working. We need to be open about the contact we have with the media. If a member of staff is not happy to be open about contact, then clearly it shouldn't happen. The only defence is that of a whistleblower.
"The relationship we have with the media is an important one, we want to be as open and transparent as possible with the press because we are a public service and we need to be held to account, and we need the press and the public to help us prevent and detect crime. But there should be no more secret conversations, there should be no more improper contact - that which is of selfish not public interest. Meetings will no longer be enhanced by hospitality and alcohol.
"I have asked the new Deputy Commissioner, Craig Mackey, to consider the report when he starts with us and take the lead on how the Met will respond to the recommendations."