The police response to the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo. - which included heavily armed militarized police clashing with protesters in the St. Louis suburb - is a case study for how not to manage a crisis. The St. Louis Police Academy seems to agree, offering a new fall course that teaches tactics, skills and techniques that will help you WIN WITH THE MEDIA!" According to the Oct. 24 program's description, the "highly entertaining" class will cover lessons learned from both Ferguson and Newtown: Meet the 900-Pound Gorilla Feeding the Animals "No Comment" is a comment Dont' Get Stuck on Stupid! Managing Media Assault and Battery. The one-day course, led by former WGN anchor-turned-public relations consultant Rick Rosenthal, is aimed at "upper-echelon law enforcement professionals" who expect to face the media, including "top-level decision-makers," supervisors and public information officers. During the protests, the city of Ferguson retained a PR firm to help its communications department deal with the "large volume of media queries." But some criticized the city for hiring a firm, Common Ground, with an all-white staff.
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