In 2012, training was held in Vancouver, Canada. The theme centered on sharpening your message through a new communication tool slowly being adopted in police agencies—social media. Yes, I know the origins of social media for the rest of humanity started much earlier, but remember, government changes at a snail’s pace. In addition, there were a lot of unknowns and potential risks with this new communication network. Many executives were uninterested in trying something new or didn’t want to rock the boat.

A trailblazer, Lauri Stevens, well-known internationally as a social media strategist, was spreading the word about how social media would improve law enforcement, crime prevention, and officer safety. She founded the “Social Media the Internet and Law Enforcement” (SMILE) Conference to do just that. In addition to her own proficiency, Lauri always had a knack for booking influential speakers who were experts in their field.

During the sessions, I met Anne E. Schwartz, best-selling author and law enforcement consultant, along with Sean Whitcomb, a sergeant with the Seattle Police Department at the time. These chance encounters led to innovative thought surrounding strategic communication. Presenters from across the US and Canada talked about how law enforcement was on the cusp of something great with this new tool.

Social media will forever change communication. Agencies could be proactive. Departments could zero in on their sound bites and message directly to communities, bypassing traditional methods. As Anne and Sean agreed, not only did we need to put the important information at the front of our messaging, but agencies needed to convey a call to action to increase public safety through citizen engagement. Communication advisors demanded a seat at the executive table, with less chain of command to get in the way of developing and posting content. Many modern-day practices started with emphasizing critical information at the front—news releases, social media, and storytelling.

“Burying the lede,” a journalism term that originated in the 1970s, means placing the most essential information in the middle of a story—not the beginning. This can lead to confusion and the failure of community members to take some requested action, prevent people from even reading your story, and may eventually lead to mistrust. This is the second part of thewhy related to thinking and communicating strategically.

If you are dealing with a train derailment that could release hazardous gases, here is an example of where the lede is buried: communication that provides the news of a train derailment, stating there are some road closures in the area. On the other hand, with the lede up front, strategic communication would place a call to action at the beginning of the messaging: “Citizens around Main Street and Center Street need to evacuate immediately due to a train derailment. Out of an abundance of caution, traffic in the area has been diverted to Second Street as first responders evaluate the contents of the train cars involved. For safety reasons, immediately evacuate these areas and follow all instructions from first responders. An update will be provided once more information is known and can be shared.” Do you see the difference?

As executives and communicators, we must determine the most important information that must be readily available and shared with community members and employees