The Clutha District Council is brushing up on how it handles the media and communicates with the public in general, after being told that in dealings with the media, it should be seen ‘‘in the best possible light''.
A 43-page draft communications strategy, prepared by council communications co-ordinator Jamie Shaw, will be viewed by the new youth council before it is formally adopted by the full council.
It has been tagged as the blueprint for effectively communicating with ratepayers, the media and other interested parties.
The strategy was created because the council saw effective communication between it and district residents as vital to ensuring ‘‘excellent representation''.
With this in place, Mr Shaw said this blueprint should give a greater public understanding of the council, its functions and decisions, create ‘‘realistic expectation levels'' as to what the public could expect from the council, give a higher rate of positive media coverage and allow the council to consistently reinforce its key messages.
Two broad areas needed to be addressed - one was an information strategy, covering the council's own publications and newsletters, while the other looked at using outside media, like newspapers and radio stations.
Mr Shaw's advice on the information strategy defines everything from the council's internal communications, its staff newsletter and ratepayer newsletter through to other reports, preparing council agenda reports and even the style for preparing these documents.
The other key strategy involves dealing with the wider media.
‘‘Maintaining good relations with the news media is important because the news media is a necessary and useful means (and often a free way) to communicate with our community,'' Mr Shaw said.
While the news media generally reported positive stories about the council, there were times when stories of a negative slant also ran.
‘‘The key is to effectively manage all communications with the media so council is seen in the best possible light, or at least presents its side of the story . . . many people form their opinion of public organisations from what they read in the newspapers and hear on radio. Our public image is influenced by how we appear in the media.''
Mr Shaw's media strategy includes which staff could talk to reporters, the issuing of media releases, and tactics staff were to use when dealing with media.
The council's key aim was to be proactive in dealing with the media, Mr Shaw said.
The Otago Daily Times has in the past been instructed to discuss most issues with either Mayor Juno Hayes, chief executive Charles Hakkaart or the other members of the management group, including Jules Witt (district assets), Julie Pearse (district development), Alan Dickson (corporate services and Murray Brass (planning and environment).
