Public officials and journalists need to establish a working relationship so conflicts between the two can be more easily resolved, a panel of media and law enforcement representatives agreed Wednesday.

The discussion, called Police and the Media, was one of three discussions that took place during the Public Officials, The Media And The Public Interest forum sponsored by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

The film confiscation of SIUC photojournalism student Matt Bowie served as an example of the problems that arise between police and journalists, said associate professor of journalism Jim Kelly.

Bowie, a senior from Kildeer, had his film confiscated by a university police officer in September 2005 after he photographed an arrest on campus.

Kelly said the Bowie incident was one of many examples where police responded irrationally to photographers at a crime scene.

Another incident included a New Jersey man whose camera was stolen by a police officer after the man photographed an arrest with his cell phone, Kelly said.

Glen Carbon Police Chief David Bradford said he did not dispute journalists' rights to take photographs of police action, but he is concerned that photographs at crime scenes paint a negative picture about an apprehended person.

Once the photographs are published, most people see the person as guilty, even though there is no legitimate proof, Bradford said.

From the media perspective, Kelly said it is important for the photojournalist and police officer to form an understanding of each other.

Kelly said officials should understand that the photojournalist's job is to photograph the scene as arrests are being made or as the crime is happening.

Matt Baughman, assistant director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said the forum's purpose was to give law enforcement and journalists an opportunity to discuss their thoughts on the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act.

"The overall goal was to bring public officials and media representatives to interact with each other to assure that the best level of public service is provided to its citizens," Baughman said.

Baughman said the forum gave both media and public officials a chance to hear each other's opinions in regards to the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

In general, most conference meetings between public officials or the media consist of only one side of the argument, Baughman said.

The forum drew a diverse crowd of students and Carbondale residents. A few of the participants raised questions at the end of the forum about the media and its portrayal of information to the public.

Alison McCabe, a junior from Mundelein studying journalism and theatre, said she enjoyed the discussion because panelists hit on topics that were pertinent to campus, such as the Bowie incident.

"It happened here, so it forces you to have an opinion," McCabe said. "In order to have the best opinion you have to know where both the media and the police are coming from."