MediaScotland Yard asks TV to limit live coverage of hostage incidents

Published 4 February 2015

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the commissioner of Scotland Yard, has publicly requested that television news organizations consider not broadcasting live images of police or special forces attempting to storm any terrorist siege in the city out of fear of further jeopardizing lives.The recent sieges in Paris and Sydney have led security officials like Hogan-Howe worry that the intensive TV coverage could also inform the attackers about police tactics.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the commissioner Scotland Yard, has publicly requested that television news organizations consider not broadcasting live images of police or special forces attempting to storm any terrorist siege in the city out of fear of further jeopardizing lives.

As theGuardian reports, following the recent sieges in Paris and Sydney, security officials like Hogan-Howe worry that the intensive TV coverage could lead to informing the attackers as well.

“That’s something the public want to be informed about. Of course, we as the police want them to be informed…to make sure they are protected – but equally, when the police and the security service and sometimes the military respond, we want to make sure that our ability to respond is not restricted by things like live coverage. We have ongoing discussions with the media about how that happens,” said Hogan-Howe.

Metropolitan police officials met with broadcasters last week. Previously, police have had a “voluntary agreement with broadcasters, under which they agreed not to show live pictures of police or special forces preparing to storm a site.” As a concession, police allowed the continued filming to be shared with the public after the event had concluded.

These agreements first followed after the London terrorist attacks of 2005.

“It’s a difficult balancing act for the authorities,” said Chris Webb, Scotland Yard’s head of news from that era. “They have to look at how to protect life, especially if taking executive action [sending armed police or special forces in to end a siege]. Images giving the bad guys prior warning can impact on the fate of the hostages, and get hostages or officers killed.”

Part of the problem, according to him, is that the massive increase in social media coverage and platforms over the past ten years, which has greatly jeopardized an understanding that had previously existed.

“You can ask broadcasters to use discretion, you can’t do the same with social media,” Webb added.

Some unnamed senior news executives involved in the talks say that while they are sensitive to the needs of police and their operations in terms of safety and efficiency, they also feel that it is important to safeguard editorial independence.

Any restrictions that the police put forward will be considered, they said, but not automatically adopted.

Spokespeople for Sky News and ITN have both confirmed that the meetings did take place last week.