News and Media Officers

If you're an experienced communicator who thrives on variety and compelling news content, then we have a fantastic opportunity to join our award-winning communications team as a News and Media Officer. As a News and Media Officer you'll be engaging with the public to protect communities, catch criminals and deliver outstanding services. Creating compelling news packages online, through social media and news media, you will promote the wide variety of work Sussex Police undertakes, enhancing public understanding and confidence in our service.

Responsible for providing a reactive and proactive news service, your creative multi-media content will support the operational needs of the force, promote positive outcomes and prevent and respond to emerging issues and risks. As an integral part of the News and Media Team, and the wider Media and Communications Department, you will share ideas and work closely with communications professionals in our other teams.

You will provide advice and guidance to officers and staff at all levels, working closely with partners on a range of issues and events, including high profile and major incidents. Importantly, you will maintain and enhance relationships with national, regional and local media organisations, providing opportunities for positive and supportive coverage about our service. If you're looking for a rewarding, exciting and challenging job and can confidently manage a range of demands on your time then this may be the opportunity you have been looking for., Liaise with local policing districts and departments to create proactive news stories, with engaging multi-media content (including image, audio and video) that supports the operational needs of the force, creates positive outcomes and addresses how we prevent and respond to emerging issues and risks.

Access information, through the monitoring and researching of databases, attendance at meetings and at the scenes of incidents, building relationships with officers and staff, partners and media to provide accurate and relevant proactive and reactive material. Manage public confidence issues, monitoring coverage in social media as well as traditional and web-based media outlets, to assess opportunity, issue and risk and respond in a timely and appropriate way.

To ensure the force is aware of current, emerging and anticipated media issues/public sentiment issues and takes appropriate action. Manage media enquiries and foster positive media relations, prioritising and challenging inaccurate or misleading content where appropriate to support operational needs and to help build public confidence in the force. Write and implement communications strategies to support operational requirements (criminal investigations, incidents, events) providing advice to the senior investigating officer concerned, briefings, media and public FAQs, to support the operation and enable greater understanding of the force's work.

Act as an operational Media Officer in the event of a major/critical incident or planned policing operation, developing and implementing tactics to manage the communications issues relating to such incidents in liaison with Senior Investigating/Command Officers, departmental colleagues and where appropriate other agencies involved in the incident. Deliver multidisciplinary communications as required including the production of multimedia content for digital communications, the delivery of internal communications and campaigns, and assisting the wider business in the implementation of its communications and engagement strategies that builds positive community engagement.

Take part in the out-of-hours on-call system for the Media and Communications Team., The department operates on a seven day a week basis and staff are required to work approximately one weekend out of eight. You will also take part in the 24/7 on-call rota on an eight-week rotational basis. When working a weekend shift, you will be given days off in lieu either side of