Seems like everytime something bad happens, there is a televised press conference and you'll see someone apparently important, or a group of apparent officials, taking turns giving prepared statements, most of which are all noise and community back patting like its the Academy Awards "First I want to thank my mom for always being there and supporting me..(sniff sniff)..."

Then most oddly, you'll see a group of apparent second tier apparently important people but not as important people, standing behind the first tier guys, like wall flowers, all looking to lend their weight to the big time statements that they're dropping on the press.

All of this looks like one thing: A selfish self-aggrandizing grandstanding pompous fawning of premadonnas in front of the camera at the expense of the victims, while dudes and dudettes that actually door kick, throw down, then glove up and exfil are busy doing actual "work".

Is this your take?

Whats your take?

What's your point?

The hardest working people in any organization don't have any interest in being the public face of the organization and they are happy for those who do want to be the public face to let them. Someone else being on camera means I don't have to.

Many of your best officers/investigators don't interview well so you don't want them on camera anyway.

IMO, they're pretty worthless.  About the only response you get to anything worth knowing is "I can't comment on that because the investigation is ongoing."

I remember chatting with a local news reporter and I asked her why they put the stupidest people possible in front of the camera when we are investigating a big case. She laughed and told me "If you think that's bad, you ought to see the footage we never air!"  She further said they want to put SOMEONE in front of the camera for the nightly news.....it can either be someone from the department or it can be toothless Billy Bob and his white trash woman.

Well you can't release certain things at that point in an investigation. The media asks stupid questions and questions that can't be answered at that time.

I have been involved in many investigations where we had a person identified as a suspect and then as the investigation progresses, the initial suspect is cleared. You don't want that information released for the sake of the innocent person.

People think they have they right to know everything that's going on in an active investigation.  But they don't.

My place got heavily into the habit of issuing written press releases. This served a couple of interests. First no one had to look stupid infront of a camera, second there was the info that the agency wanted released so no one complained that the cops won't tell us anything and last no one could ask question that the agency mouth piece didn't know the answer to.

More or less the reason a department has a Public Information Office / Officer.

I'll admit it's been a long time since I've dealt with it, but I thought NIMS advocated for press conferences every hour after a major event...

I don't recall if it was an hour or not, but it should be timely enough to provide something for the next news cycle.

To the larger question...

Most departments are being told by some higher ups in the City what to say...and most often those higher ups are looking to see which way public sentiment swings, so they aren't on the wrong side of it. Depending on the nature, as others have stated, departments want to make sure they get the information correct as well.  When these combined with a polarizing event, like in Ferguson, we see the media, and who ever they can put in front of the camera, drive the narrative. I think you will see a mild shift, like the Texas State Troopers, releasing video and evidence quickly and public to counter act those fact narratives.

In my past career, I have had to be part of press conferences and give interviews, mostly as a result of natural disasters, searches and drownings. These conferences serve greatly as rumor control and venues to provide accurate information on a situation that is of concern to the public.  What folks don't see behind the scenes is that the media bombards agencies for updates, the elected officials have questions for their own interest, and concerned family and friends want to know what is being done.

It is always interesting to watch a news conference and see if it is being done properly and the folks talking understand how to deal with the media.