Ex-newsreader gives council chiefs lesson in media management
AN ex-newsreader says she did not intend councils to infer they should withhold information after a local government CEO reported an LGA media lesson had urged bosses to screen calls and ‘dumb down’ messages.
COUNCIL chief executives were told to screen phone calls from journalists and to be selective about which journalists they spoke to at a recent industry event, according to a report on the event.
The advice was given by former newsreader turned communications manager Georgina McGuinness at a council chief executive forum held by the Local Government Association on September 28.
A report on the event by Kimba Council chief executive Deb Larwood stated Ms McGuinness told the crowd to “choose who you engage with in the media”.
The report said she suggested chief executives should not provide information unless they were “comfortable” with it being printed on the front page of The Advertiser.
Mrs Larwood also wrote attendees were advised not to answer calls from private numbers because they might be journalists and councils should “dumb down” their message.
According to the event’s program, which included a networking dinner on Rundle St, Ms McGuinness gave a 45 minute “managing media and social media” presentation on “the importance of building robust media relationships, pitch and crisis media”.
The event was pitched as an “exciting opportunity … to redefine the future of leadership” in councils.
Ms McGuinness told The Advertiser she did not intend to give the impression information should be withheld.
The media was an “extremely important conduit in communicating (councils’) messages” and she was “all about transparency”, she said.
“I’m trying to encourage them to engage and when they do engage, to give (journalists) what they want,” Ms McGuinness said.
That would sometimes mean “letting a message go to message bank and gather your notes”, she said.
LGA chief executive Matt Pinnegar said Ms McGuinness was not paid for the presentation. Ms McGuiness confirmed she was not paid.
He said council chief executives should be “open and transparent in all of their dealings with the media”.
Chief executives had paid a registration fee for the event, he said.