TV News: Public Information Officers

BiB Contributor | George Howell

Public Information Officers serve as the link between governmental organizations and the media. They speak on behalf of the agencies they represent – and given that the news business is a 24 hour a day job – they are usually always on the go!

From television to radio, online and print, PIO’s spend a great deal of time interacting with the media. Some PIO’s can be secretive about providing information (usually by the direction of their bosses), typically resulting in an adversarial relationship with press officials seeking information. The best PIO’s, like Denell Boyd with the Cobb County Fire Department, are very transparent in their processes, and forthcoming with the latest relevant information. In the above clip, Boyd describes the ins-and-outs of her job, if you’ve ever considered being a PIO.

(NOTE: There’s a slight audio issue with Boyd’s interview, so you may have to pot up her answers a bit on your speakers!)

Good Luck!