Issue - meetings

To approve the Communications Strategy and Media Protocol.

That the Communications Strategy and Media Protocol be APPROVED.  

67.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 85-115, attached a Communications Strategy and Media Protocol which Members were asked to approve following endorsement from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

67.2           The Committee was advised that communications had a vital role to play in helping Tewkesbury Borough Council to deliver its vision, priorities and objectives to local people. The Communications Strategy and action plan was short and simple and looked at how the Council could grow its communications from now to its aims in the future. The current strategy had been approved in 2017 and it was necessary to introduce a new strategy that developed and improved communications as well as ensuring it was in line with current best practice. Communication was at the heart of everything the Council did at all levels and helped strengthen its links with the public, residents, stakeholders, Councillors and staff. The Communications Strategy would run until 2024 and would ensure the Council embraced modern digital communications such as social media, website and email communications, whilst recognising the need to continue to include the more traditional methods of face-to-face and telephone. The Media Protocol outlined the Council’s approach to responding to media enquiries, developing press releases and identifying spokespeople. Generally, it remained much the same as in previous years with the addition of a section to clarify who should be quoted in a press release about motions to Council.

67.3           A Member questioned whether the new Strategy would be circulated to all Members and, upon being advised that it would, it was