The Los Angeles Police Department has joined the growing number of organisations using weblogs to issue public relations messages, starting its own journal to rebut what it sees as unfair news reporting.
Chief William J. Bratton joined a lieutenant and other staff at America’s third largest police force to begin writing the blog last week.
“I see the blog, which is first and foremost a department blog, as an opportunity to communicate with the public and educate them about what we are doing at the LAPD,” Mr Bratton told the LA Times. “But I also see it as an opportunity for me to respond to those issues where I feel the department is being misrepresented.”
Entries have so far included statements issued to press in the city and countering critical newspaper editorials. The force said the messages gave citizens “unfiltered” information.