Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutADM 140-004 Media Relations ProcedureCity Procedure Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Procedure Number ADM 140-004 Date Originated (m/d/y) September 11, 2014 Approval: Chief Administrative Officer Reference Communications Policy ADM 140 Date Revised (m/d/y) Pages 11 Point of Contact Coordinator, Public Affairs Procedure Objective The Corporation of the City of Pickering (the "City") understands the important role media plays in promoting public understanding of City services, programs, events, and news. Developing and maintaining a healthy relationship with the media is essential in effectively serving the residents, businesses, and greater community of Pickering; therefore, we have set out guidelines to ensure we achieve a coordinated and consistent process for dealing with the media. This procedure aims to provide City employees with an understanding of how to maintain media relationships, while employing best practices to ensure that the organization speaks with one voice, and presents clear and concise information. Index 01 Definitions 02 Procedures 03 Responsibilities 04 Guidelines 05 Spokespersons 06 Non -Spokespersons 07 Interviews 08 Media Releases 01 Definitions 01.01 Media Advisory - Should be used to notify the media of an upcoming activity such as a press conference, announcement, or special event. 01.02 News Release - Should be used to provide the media with corporate news. It is sometimes used after a Media Advisory is issued to communicate the information from a press conference or announcement. 01.03 Official Statement - Should be used to provide the media with the City's and/or Mayor and Council's position on a significant issue, announcement, or occurrence. 01.04 Photo Opportunity - Should be used to inform the media of an interesting or relevant event or issue that would be appropriate for a photograph. 01.05 Integrated Marketing Team - A team of representatives from various departments within the Corporation that meets regularly to address the City's need for a more proactive, effective and consistent approach to communications as it relates to corporate standards and procedures, communications and media relations. 02 Procedures 02.01 Appropriate staff will be identified as media spokespersons on an issue -by - issue basis to ensure disclosure of the most accurate and complete information. 02.02 If staff is unsure of the designated media spokesperson for a specific issue, they can direct the media inquiry to the Coordinator, Communications, or Coordinator, Public Affairs. 02.03 Staff is encouraged to identify opportunities for positive media stories and communicate these to the Coordinator, Communications, or Coordinator, Public Affairs. 03 Responsibilities 03.01 Chief Administrative Officer to: a) Support and approve this procedure. b) Act as the City's primary spokesperson for administrative issues unless otherwise designated. 03.02 The Mayor to: a) Act as the City's primary spokesperson unless otherwise designated. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 2 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 03.03 Directors and Division Heads to: a) Act as departmental spokesperson, or assign roles to staff who possess specific expertise or field knowledge. b) Approve requests for departmental staff interviews (phone, in-person, television, radio). 03.04 The Corporate Communications Section to: a) Review various City initiatives and identify opportunities to maximize media exposure. b) Work with key staff to draft, review, and issue media releases related to their respective projects, programs, events, and other noteworthy initiatives. This does not include media releases/announcements issued from the Culture & Recreation Department. 03.05 The Integrated Marketing Team to: a) Serve as a centralized resource for any ongoing media relations activities throughout the City. b) Share feedback on various initiatives aimed at nurturing and enhancing a positive corporate brand identity, as well as providing strategic direction to strengthen relationships with the media. 03.06 Managers and Supervisors to: a) Review the Media Relations Procedure with staff, volunteers, and placements, and ensure they know who the respective departmental spokespersons are. 03.07 The Coordinator, Communications and Coordinator, Public Affairs to: a) Monitor print/online media daily for any news directly related or affecting the City's employees, residents, visitors or businesses. b) Liaise with internal departments to develop compelling stories and narratives that would merit media relations efforts. c) Revise any media advisory, news release, official statement, or photo opportunity drafts that originate from departments other than Culture & Recreation. d) Establish, maintain, and nurture positive relationships with local media. e) Provide ongoing review and analysis of the Media Relations Procedure to ensure it remains timely and relevant. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 3 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 f) Maintain a media contacts list on behalf of the City. g) Respond to media inaccuracies in a timely fashion. 03.08 The Website Coordinator to: a) Post all media releases to the website. 03.09 Employees to: a) Adhere to the guidelines as set out in section 04. b) Forward inaccurate media coverage to the Coordinator, Communications, or Coordinator, Public Affairs, for review. 03.10 Non -Compliance with Guidelines Failure to comply with the Media Relations Procedure and Guidelines may result in disciplinary action. The City may also exercise its right to discipline employees who cause harm to the City's reputation through expressing inaccurate, confidential, or offensive material to the media. 04 Guidelines 04.01 Media Coverage a) Concerns regarding inaccurate media coverage must be forwarded to the Coordinator, Communications, or Coordinator, Public Affairs, who will take the necessary action required to remediate the situation. b) Designated staff may utilize all media outlets to ensure maximum coverage of City issues, but must remain considerate of the media outlet's ultimate priority — to deliver timely, significant information that is relevant to its audience. c) If staff is unsure of what information constitutes as `newsworthy,' they may consult with the Coordinator, Public Affairs, or Coordinator, Communications. d) The Coordinator, Public Affairs, and Coordinator, Communications will help assess how newsworthy an item is, and develop a news angle and key messages if required. 04.02 Media Inquiry Response a) Timely communication with the media enables the City to build credible relationships with media professionals. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 4 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 b) Media inquiries must be addressed promptly to accommodate publication deadlines. Often a 'one business day' window is too lenient for media professionals, so whenever possible, staff must attempt to provide an immediate response, or followup, unless otherwise specified in accordance with our service level standards as per the Customer Service Policy. c) If the media request is linked to a specific media advisory or release, the call can be referred to the identified spokesperson outlined in the announcement. d) All media inquiries should be directed to the appropriate staff person for review/response. e) Staff is to provide the reporter with the appropriate staff person's direct contact information; or alternately, provide the spokesperson with the reporter's question, or nature of the topic, along with the reporter's contact information. If unsure, staff is to forward the request to their supervisor. 04.03 Third Party Guidelines a) Third parties that contact the City for assistance with the development of their respective media releases may ask the City to view the document for content accuracy, and/or request a spokesperson quote. b) In such instances, the request for information can be forwarded to the department supervisor/manager for notification and approval, depending on the subject matter. If the staff person is unsure of which department the media content falls under, they can forward the request for information to the Coordinator, Communications, or the Coordinator, Public Affairs. 04.04 Professionalism a) Reporters often prefer to interview face-to-face or over the phone to better gauge emotion/body language, but when appropriate, staff can request to provide a written response via email. b) Regardless of the media being used, employees must not do anything that could harm the reputation of the City. c) Employees must not make defamatory or offensive statements about the City to any media outlets or on social media platforms, as per the Corporate Communications Policy. d) Employees may only comment on matters of government policy relating to their role within the organization, and not contradict other information disseminated by other departments/divisions without consulting with the designated spokesperson. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 5 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 e) Employees must keep their personal and professional relationship with any media outlets separate. f) Employees must not disclose confidential subject matter to any media outlets. g) If an employee is unsure of what is appropriate or inappropriate to share, they should contact their immediate supervisor. h) Employees must not jeopardize the perception of impartiality through making public comments or using their position in government to lend weight to their personal, public expression. 05 Spokespersons a) Department Managers/Supervisors will identify appropriate representatives as spokespersons for their business areas on a case-by-case basis before media relations, if able, or as media inquiries are received. b) Authorized spokespersons provide clarification and/or information on programs, services, events, activities, initiatives and issues that relate specifically to their business area. c) Staff may provide clarification or background to the media on a report's content prior to its review by Committee or Council. However, staff do not give opinion on such reports (including any recommendations) or comment on the decisions of Council. d) Spokespersons will advise their supervisor, and Coordinator, Communications, or Coordinator, Public Affairs of all media inquiries and contacts. 05.01 Spokespersons: a) Chief Administrative Officer - shall be the chief staff spokesperson and speaks on behalf of the municipality regarding all administrative functions of the organization. b) Directors - shall be the chief spokesperson of the department and speak on behalf of their respective area of accountability and responsibility. c) Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor - shall be the chief spokesperson for all legislative or legal matters that pertain to the City. d) Division Heads - shall be spokespersons concerning programs, operations and activities that fall within their area of responsibility, where authorized by the Director of a department. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 6 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 e) Fire Chief or Designated Deputy Fire Chief — shall be the chief spokesperson for Pickering Fire Services and all situations involving emergency services. f) Fire Prevention Staff — shall be spokespersons on Fire Services matters related to public information, public education, and any other general media enquiries as applicable. Coordinator, Public Affairs - shall be the spokesperson for the Mayor's Office, as requested by the Mayor, or CAO, and may provide comment when the reporter is seeking a broad-based statement on City matters. Any interviews requiring a higher degree of knowledge and/or expertise on a specific subject matter will be referred to the CAO or departmental spokesperson. The Coordinator, Communications will act as the alternate spokesperson in the Coordinator, Public Affair's absence. h) Managers, Supervisors, and Coordinators — may be a spokesperson if they are the City's knowledge leaders in their specialized fields, and subject to the Director's approval. g) 05.02 City Spokespersons to: a) Review and prepare for contentious subject matter at the CAO/Director level. Any contentious subject matter should be addressed in consultation with the CAO. b) Ensure they are well informed and up-to-date on targeted issue before providing statements to the media. c) Prepare key messages accordingly. d) Be available. Provide accurate information within the reporter's deadline to reduce the reporter's reliance on inaccurate sources. e) Provide related documents to the media where appropriate. f) Never provide 'off the record' statements. Do not disclose information you wish not to be published, as it is the reporter's prerogative whether or not they use it. g) Never respond to a media inquiry with 'no comment'. It contradicts our message of being an open and transparent government. h) Avoid attempting to answer questions that you are unsure of. Direct the media inquiry to a more knowledgeable staff person, or offer to get back to them with a more informative answer. i) Remain objective and stick to the facts. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 7 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 i) Use plain language and avoid technical terms or jargon when addressing the media. k) Always try to provide the five W's (who, what, where, when and why) first and foremost when providing information to a reporter. They can, and will, edit the interview as they see fit, so it is important to include all of the relevant details. I) Keep statements brief, do not lose value of the important details by including many irrelevant ones. m) Present information in a positive, honest light, and reinforce key messages. 06 Non -spokespersons City staff who are not designated spokespersons and who are approached by a news media representative may not provide comment or opinion. However, a City staff person may communicate promoted details of an event and/or program, or information, with prior consent from their respective Manager, as it relates to the event and/or program. If a reporter is asking for comment or opinion on a City event, program or service, the staff person must: • treat the reporter as a customer: be courteous and professional • explain that they are not a spokesperson for the City and respectfully decline the request for an interview or information • ask: o the journalist's name and who they work for o their contact number o their deadline o the topic of the interview o advise that the request will be forwarded to the appropriate spokesperson • provide details of all media calls/contacts to their supervisor, manager and/or Coordinator, Public Affairs, or Coordinator, Communications in a timely manner so the most appropriate spokesperson may respond to the request Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 8 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 07 Interviews 07.01 Television and Videos a) Interviews can be live or taped, either in studio or on location. b) Be cautious of your surroundings during an interview, e.g., if the interview is to be taped in a personal office, be aware of what files are on display, to ensure a corporate and professional image is conveyed. c) Wear solid colour clothing: stripes, plaid, or other designs can be distracting. d) Maintain eye contact with the reporter and not the camera during an interview, unless otherwise specified. Radio/Telephone a) Conduct the interview somewhere quiet with minimal background noise. b) Speak in clear, concise sentences. c) Leave breathing room in between responses to enable the reporter to edit if/where necessary. 08 Media Releases 08.01 Timing of Releases Media releases should be timely as media outlets wish to report on recent and relevant events and issues. Use the following guidelines for issuing media releases: a) Initiatives/issues — within 24 hours or weekly as appropriate; b) Announcements — at least five days before the announcement; c) Events/functions — at least two weeks before the event or function. 08.02 Routing of Draft Releases a) The originating department will draft the media advisory, news release, official statement, or photo opportunity (using the templates available) and send it electronically to the Coordinator, Communications, or Coordinator, Public Affairs in his/her absence. Culture & Recreation may issue its own departmental releases, but must provide a copy to the Integrated Marketing Team and Website Coordinator. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 9 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 b) The draft will be checked to ensure it provides sufficient and accurate information. Any suggested changes will be returned to the originating department for clarification. This may also include a quotation from the Mayor, Member of Council, CAO, or senior staff member as appropriate. c) The Coordinator, Communications; Coordinator, Public Affairs; or the Supervisor, Cultural Services seek the necessary approvals. Once approved, arrangements will be made to distribute the final release electronically. The media release may be issued locally or via Canada Newswire depending on the importance of the issue and desired media reach. This will require approval since there is a cost associated with the distribution. The media release will then be posted to the City's website. Instructions to post to the website will include an end date to ensure current and relevant information on our website. d) Significant program cancellations or service disruption updates that must be issued to the media, or posted to the website and other channels outside of regular business hours where the Coordinator, Communications; Coordinator, Public Affairs; or the Supervisor, Cultural Services may not be available, can be done by the designated staff as identified in the Program Cancellation & Service Disruption Updates Standard Operating Procedure. e) In terms of internal distribution, media releases that are of a corporate or business nature; or of high importance will be issued via email to Mayor, Members of Council, and all staff. Media releases regarding cultural programming, and smaller events do not require City-wide distribution, but should be forwarded to Corporate Communications staff and the Integrated Marketing Team members for information purposes. f) Media Releases/News Announcements of significant and time sensitive matters will be forwarded to Mayor and Council mobile email addresses. g) Administrative Assistants are responsible for posting media releases on area bulletin boards for ten business days. 08.03 Content of Releases a) The contents of the media releases should be factual and balanced and answer the questions: who, what, where, when and why. The significance of the event or announcement should be highlighted, and quantitative information should be included (i.e., concerning the effect the news will have on the City). Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 10 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004 b) A contact name (or names), and phone numbers including TTY are also required. Contacts may be called to provide additional information, clarify information, or request a photo or interview. Keep it concise, and use an enticing lead/subject line. This will assist in getting the media's attention. c) All news releases are to be written in the third person. First person narrative is not acceptable, except when used in direct quotes. d) Photo Opportunities, Special Event notices, or Media Advisories of a fun or less serious nature may use first person narrative where appropriate. e) Headlines should be clear, concise, descriptive, and in some cases clever, to communicate what the media release is about, or capture the attention of the editor/reporter. Procedure Title: Media Relations Procedure Page 11 of 11 Procedure Number: ADM 140-004