City’s New Media Policy Shields Mayor, Staff
Is the local media really your enemy, City Hall?
Patti Mullins, the City of Frederick’s new public information officer and former City Hall reporter, said Thursday that she authorized a new media policy at the city where she “is the city,” and media must funnel any questions for staff or Mayor Randy McClement through her, preferably via email.
“Reporters have to come through me. Staff doesn’t have time to spend the whole day doing interviews,” Mullins said.
If staff has the time or inclination, they may consent to an interview, according to Mullins. Otherwise, Mullins tells reporters to email questions to her for the staff member or Mayor. She will then interview the staff or Mayor, and call the reporter back to answer the questions.
Although this may make it easier for Mayor McClement and staff, it is an unnecessary, convoluted and time-consuming burden for local media. And quite frankly, how many media members are really clamoring for interviews with city staff enough that Mullins had to put the brakes on their requests?
This new policy typifies the distrust of media in this national environment, and the view by many politicos that media is an unwelcome and intrusive aspect of political life. Did this policy come into play because local journalists are viewed as the enemy, an obstacle to accomplishing the work of government? Or, is it because Mayor McClement, himself is afraid to speak directly to the press? Or, at least some of us.
Dianah Gibson, news director of WFMD, said she has not heard of any new media policy at City Hall. When asked if she had to go through the new Public Information Coordinator to talk to city officials or staff, Gibson said, “I don’t do that. This is news to me. We have deadlines and a job to do. Who has time for that?,” she said.
“If someone told me that, I would be kind of offended. You want access to people right away, and there’s a level of respect,” Gibson said. “If someone told me I had to go through the PIO, I would feel as if something was broken.”
When asked for a copy of this new policy, Mullins said in an email that the “the formal, written “Communications/Media Policy” details are being drafted, as part of the Public Information Coordinator job description, and I will send you a copy when they’re approved, but the essence is this:
“All media inquiries come through the Public Information Coordinator. The PIC will assure that, to the degree possible, questions get answered in a timely fashion.
“Either the PIC or an appropriate staff person, or elected official, may* respond.
*Staff members are not required to respond directly to media questions unless responding is a part of their regular assigned duties.”
“Timely fashion” appears to be a debatable term, at least in my experience with this “new policy” so far. And the information that is filtered through Mullins, so far, sounds more like bureaucratese than a direct response to a direct question.
Frederick voters go to the polls in 2017 to elect a mayor and board of aldermen. Perhaps this new policy is designed to protect the interests of someone looking for reelection? Stay tuned.
