Board Members: Media Relations

 It is the policy of the Toronto Police Services Board that: 

1. Board Members will fully uphold the Code of Conduct for Board Members, specifically the sections pertaining to media relations: 

Section (4):    Board members will keep confidential any information disclosed or discussed at a meeting of the Board, or part of a meeting of the Board, that was closed to the public.                      

Section (5):    No Board member will purport to speak on behalf of the Board unless he or she is authorized by the board to do so. 

Section (6):    A Board member who expresses disagreement with a decision of the Board shall make it clear that he or she is expressing a personal opinion. 

2. The Chair of the Board will be considered the Board spokesperson for all media inquiries. When the Chair is unavailable, the Vice Chair will be considered the Board spokesperson for all media inquiries. The Chair or Vice Chair, as the case may be, may also designate the Board’s Executive Director to speak on behalf of the Board; 

3. In special circumstances, such as during contract negotiations or where a Board sub-committee has been established on a specific issue, the Board may designate the member leading the negotiations, or the Chair of the sub-committee, as the case may be, to act as spokesperson for the Board on the subject in question. In such circumstances, the Chair may also designate the Board’s Executive Director to speak on behalf of the Board; 

4. Board Members may communicate a position of the Board.   However, should a Board Member publicly disagree with a position of the Board, or wish to comment on a matter not yet before the Board, the Board Member will clearly identify that he or she is speaking as an individual and not on the Board’s behalf. A Board Member will not state that the Board has taken a position on a matter until the matter has been formally considered by the Board; 

5. When a media inquiry is made directly to Board Members regarding sensitive or confidential matters, Board Members will not comment but will advise the Chair and Executive Director or Senior Advisor of the inquiry so that it may be directed to the most appropriate person; 

6.      When a media inquiry is made by a member of the media with respect to factual information, the administration of the Board, or decisions that have been made by the Board during a public meeting, the Board’s Executive Director, Senior Advisor or Advisor, Strategic Policy & Stakeholder Relations, may provide information in response to the inquiry; 

7. The Board’s Senior Advisor will serve as a liaison between members of the media and the Board spokesperson when requests are received for interviews or comments; and 

8. Media releases or Board Statements will be approved prior to release by the Chair, or, in the Chair’s absence, by the Vice Chair, as well as by the Executive Director.  Alternatively, where the Chair or Vice Chair has designated the Executive Director to do so, media releases may be approved by the Board’s Executive Director.  Board Members will receive a copy of the release as soon as possible once it has been approved.