Police and media launch charter to ‘reset’ relations after Nicola Bulley case

The Guardian - World News Political StrategyNews ReportEN 2 min read 100% complete by Michael Savage Media editorMarch 17, 2026 at 03:07 PM

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medium article 2 min

Following strained relations stemming from the Nicola Bulley case in 2023, police and media organizations in England and Wales have launched a charter to improve communication. The "policing and media charter" aims to encourage engagement between officers and journalists, emphasizing the importance of regular interaction. The initiative seeks to address concerns that a lack of access and information, exacerbated by the Leveson inquiry, allowed misinformation and conspiracy theories to spread during the Bulley investigation. An independent investigation found that early communication failures in the Bulley case led to unchecked speculation and an alternative narrative dominating public perception. The charter hopes to reset the relationship between police and the media by clarifying that officers can engage with the media for policing purposes.

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Under the charter, all police forces will be contactable by phone.

factual100% confidence

An independent investigation found early communication failures led to “external voices being able to dominate the narrative surrounding the case”.

factual — independent investigation100% confidence

Andy Marsh, of the College of Policing, said he hoped the charter would mark “a resetting of the relationship between the police and the media”.

quote — Andy Marsh100% confidence

The charter states engagement between police and the media is “encouraged for officers and staff of all ranks and roles if there is a policing purpose”.

quote — policing and media charter100% confidence

Police and the media have backed a “reset” in relations after distrust following the Nicola Bulley case.

factual100% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United Kingdom 30% Society of Editors 30% London 30% Wales 30% College of Policing 40% Andy Marsh 40% Leveson Inquiry 40% River Wyre 50% Lancashire Constabulary 50% Lancashire 60% Nicola Bulley ×790%

Keywords

police media relations 90% nicola bulley case 80% media charter 70% information vacuum 60% conspiracy theories 60% press ethics 50% communication failures 50% public narrative 40%