Miscellaneousemail address herephone number heresms phone number herefax number hereminicom number hereIn 2001, the national Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity was amended to include changes in council constitutions introduced by the Local Government Act 2000. These amendments were approved by Parliament and a new Code has been issued. Local authorities are required to 'have regard to the provisions' of this Code in the way we approach communication.
The Code gives guidance on communications between communities, individual
people and local authorities and aims to foster effective and impartial communication.
Principles and Protocols
The Council undertakes to maintain a full and
steady flow of information to the media so as to ensure:
- Continued public awareness of
the services provided by the authority and the functions it performs;
- Advance and ongoing publicity on matters
of public interest;
- Those affected by the Council's decisions,
policies and priorities are given the information to understand them
and to have a real and informed say about them.
The principle of executive decision-making and accountability will be bly reflected in the Council's media liaison arrangements. In particular:
- Media statements on Executive
decisions will be made by the appropriate Executive member (or their
substitute), the Leader of the Council or issued on behalf of the entire
Executive.
- Interviews on Executive decisions will only
be given by the appropriate member of the Executive, their substitute
or the Council Leader.
- The Executive will be given relevant support,
advice and training to enable them to play a proactive role in presenting
issues to the media, explain their work and manage controversial issues
covered by the media.
- Where the press office is asked to draft
press releases or letters on behalf of the Executive, such releases/letters
will be of a factual nature and will contain nothing that could be construed
as politically motivated or biased.
- All official Executive press releases will
be issued by the Press Office in the standard format.
The work of the Overview and Scrutiny panels is an important and integral part of the new political arrangements for the purposes of media liaison. In particular:
- Media statements and interviews
on Overview and Scrutiny matters will be made by the convenor of the
relevant panel, their substitute or, if appropriate, by the chair of
the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.
- Interviews on Overview and Scrutiny matters
will be given by the convenor of the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny
Panel, their substitute or, if appropriate, by the chair of the Overview
and Scrutiny Management Board.
- Members of Scrutiny and overview panels
and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be
offered relevant support,advice and training to enable them to play
a proactive role in presenting issues to the media and explain their
work.
- Where a minority report is released by
a member or members of an Overview and Scrutiny Panel, media statements
will be the responsibility of those issuing the report.
- Where the press office is asked to draft
press releases/letters on behalf of Overview and Scrutiny, such releases/letters
will be of a factual nature and will contain nothing that could be
construed as politically motivated or biased.
- All official Overview and Scrutiny press
releases will be issued by the Press Office in the standard format.
The work of local councillors will be recognised
as an important contributor to the Council's community leadership role. In
particular:
- Advice will be available to local
members in promoting local issues through the media - with training made
available
- Whilst it is legitimate for the Council to
publicise local issues, the Council will not involve itself in any publicity
which 'personalises' such issues and thereby appears to be designed to
affect public support for a political party
The continuing role of full Council will also be recognised in the Council's communication with the Media. In particular:
- Media statements on policy and
other matters which are the remit of full Council (other than the simple
reporting of decisions taken) will be made by the Group Leaders
- Media enquiries on such matters will be referred
to the Group Leaders
- Group leaders will be given relevant and
appropriate support, advice and training to enable them to deal effectively
with the media.
- The Executive Leader of the Council will
be supported in making best use of the media to promote his or her special
role as
ambassador for the Council.
The work
of regulatory bodies and committees (planning, licensing etc) is acknowledged
as an important element, and key decisions and issues for decision will be
publicised in consultation with relevant spokespersons and lead officers.
The general policy of the Council will continue
to be one of openness and accessibility towards the media. Although officers
will not be allowed to comment to the media on Executive
decisions they may continue to speak to the media within clearly
defined parameters on operational and other matters. These parameters
are:
- Where they have been specifically
delegated to speak to the media by the Leader, Executive, relevant
Executive Member or Chair of the relevant Overview/Scrutiny panel.
- On matters of clarification with reference
to officer reports submitted for consideration to Executive, Scrutiny,
full Council or to regulatory committees.
- To explain the operational detail of
decisions and policies they are implementing.
- On issues pertaining to the exercise
of professional judgement.
- Normally, only First or Second Tier Officers
should speak to the media. On non-contentious matters where it would
be more appropriate for this to be done by someone with specialist
or technical knowledge, Directors/Heads of Service may delegate -
but only to named individuals who have undergone media training.
Council Media liaison will normally be carried
out via the Council's Communications and Marketing team or other designated
communications staff with specific media liaison responsibilities.
- All the Council's media contact
will be professionally managed to meet the communication needs of the
Council and of the media.
- To improve the quality of the Council's media
output and response, all necessary support/advice/training will be offered.
Media liaison will only be carried out by staff who have received training
approved by the Communications and Marketing Manager.
- All news
releases will be issued through the press office in standard format,
or through designated departmental outlets with specialist media liaison
responsibilities.
- Incoming press calls will be fielded initially
by the press office or other designated communications staff who will
respond on behalf of the Council where appropriate.
- Designated Press Officers are empowered to
make statements on behalf of the Council, presenting the Council's position
on high profile and other matters and helping build and protect the Council's
reputation.
Underpinning all aspects of this protocol is the general principal, enshrined in Government legislation that the Council will not involve itself in any publicity which appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party.
- In addition to this general principal
is a detailed Code of Recommended Practice on local authority publicity,
issued by the Secretary of State, which highlights the factors to be
borne in mind when taking decisions on publicity.
- Copies of this Code of Practice will be made
available to Members and Officers, and will inform any discussion and
decision.
- Paragraphs 38, 39 and 40 are particularly
relevant, and are reproduced below:
Individual Councillors
Publicity about individual
councillors may include the contact details, the position they hold
in the Council (for example, member of the Executive or Chair of
Overview and Scrutiny Committee), and their responsibilities. Publicity
may also include information about individual councillors' proposals,
decisions and recommendations only where this is relevant to their
position and responsibilities within the Council. All such publicity
should be objective and explanatory, and whilst it may acknowledge
the part played by individual councillors as holders of particular
positions in the Council, personalisation of issues or personal
image making should be avoided.Publicity should not be,
or liable to misrepresentation as being, party political. Whilst
it may be appropriate to describe policies put forward by an individual
councillor which are relevant to her/his position and responsibilities
within the Council, and to put forward her/his justification in
defence of them, this should not be done in party political terms,
using political slogans, expressly advocating policies of a particular
political party or directly attacking policies and opinions of other
parties, groups or individuals.
Elections
The period between the notice
of an election and the election itself should preclude proactive
publicity in all its forms of candidates and other politicians involved
directly in the election. Publicity should not deal with controversial
issues or report views, proposals or recommendations in such a way
that identifies them with individual members or groups of members.
However, it is acceptable for the authority to respond in appropriate
circumstances to events and legitimate service enquiries provided
that their answers are factual and not party political. Members
holding key political positions should be able to comment in an
emergency or where there is a genuine need for a member level response
to an important event outside the authority's control. Proactive
events arranged in this period should not involve members likely
to be standing for election.email address herephone number heresms phone number herefax number hereminicom number herepostal address here]]>