Media and publicity protocols
The communications team deals with all media enquiries about the
Council. All official Council media releases will be released by
via the communications team, use the contact details to the right
to get in touch.
Our job is to protect and improve the reputation of the Council
and to keep people informed about decisions, services and
activities that might affect them.
Media statements on executive decisions will be made by the
appropriate portfolio holder (or their substitute), the Leader of
the Council or issued on behalf of the entire executive.
Interviews on executive decisions will be given by the
appropriate member of the Executive, their substitute or the
Council Leader.
We aim to be:
- Open
- Transparent
- Honest
- Proactive
- Helpful
- Legal.
Publicity during the election period
From the notice of an election up to the election itself,
particular care must be taken to ensure that laws surrounding local
government publicity are not breached. This is to make sure that
information given out by the Council is impartial and could not be
seen to encourage support for any party or individual. For this
reason, proactive media releases sent out during the election
period will not quote councillors, except in an emergency and by
prior agreement with the Communications Manager, Borough Solicitor
or Chief Executive. Councillors will not feature in any photographs
that accompany a media release during this time.
Our civic newspaper Local Matters will not
be published or distributed during the six-week election
period.
Communications and the law
Councils operate within a strict legal framework and all
communications activity must conform to The Government’s Code of
Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity
Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity
Councils cannot publish material that appears to be designed to
affect public support for a political party.
The Secretary of State has also issued statutory guidance under
the Local Government Act 2000 that the council should follow. The
guidance says that the role of publicity is informative and should
be well balanced and objective.
Other laws that affect communications activity, include:
- Representation of the People Act (1983)
- The Data Protection Act (1998)
- The Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
- The Freedom of Information Act (2000)
- The Human Rights Act (1998)
- The Race Relations Act (1976)
- The Sex Discrimination Act (1975)
- Contempt of Court Act (1981)
- The law relating to defamation.