Relationships can be strained between local news providers and local council communications offices, but this doesn't need to be the case. We explore opportunities for change that will better serve local residents.
Through our recent survey, we've been asking people what they most value about local news, and holding power to account is near the top of the list. But what happens when power - in the form of Wiltshire Council - cuts off communication with a local news outlet - in the form of Melksham Independent News, a free fortnightly newspaper launched in 1981?
As the paper's Operations Manager, Joe McCann, says, by cutting off communication, 'the council is evading scrutiny and potentially controlling the flow of information, which is not just a concern for us as journalists but for the public as well.'
According to Wiltshire Council, 'the Melksham News reported on criticism of the council for its policy of only using paid-for newspapers to advertise public notices... following this, Wiltshire Council halted all communications with the newspaper, declining to send press releases or respond to any enquiries.' Whether or not there's more to this story than meets the eye, it's hard to fathom any reasonable justification for a council refusing to engage with a local news outlet.
The relationship between local councils and local journalists has been on PINF's radar for a little while now. Long-term readers may remember our blog spelling out the case for public notice reform last year.
More recently, PINF and independent think tank New Local invited local council communications professionals and local news providers to participate in a workshop together. Our aim was to foster new ideas around the future of local media and explore the relationship between local news outlets and councils, with a view to ensuring sustainable local information ecosystems in every UK community.
The workshop explored questions around the barriers stopping news providers and council communications officers from working well together and how local councils and local journalists can work together to make sure local residents are fully informed and empowered.
There was general agreement that the relationship between local media and communications officers needs to be improved in many areas. The group recommended building stronger face-to-face relationships between journalists and communications professionals based on the shared goal of serving citizens. They also suggested co-producing guidelines to build understanding on both sides about deadlines, sign-off processes and standards bodies.
On a structural level, there were suggestions for broader changes that may require change to legislation or policy. For example, participants discussed the burgeoning role of Documenters in the United States, citizens who are trained up to report on the goings-on of their local government operations.
Back to public notices, could reform to the system see local news providers receive revenue from councils and councils get a cheaper deal on their ads? Could a degree of separation between communications professionals and their council offices hand greater power to communications officers to coordinate news, link up with communities and build trust in their local area?
So, how are we taking this forward? PINF is holding our third meeting of the Local News Commission tomorrow morning. Commissioners will be taking note of these recent developments, which will form part of their deliberations towards recommendations for a thriving local news sector.
As always, we encourage anyone with an interest in this issue, whether you work in local news or local government, to get in touch with us and let us know your perspectives!
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