New local authority code unveiled

Posted on: 7th March 2011 in Local government

To no-one’s great surprise, and to a great sigh of resignation from local government communicators, the post-consultation ‘Code of recommended practice on local authority publicity’ has been published by DCLG.

Public sector communicators should already be well up to speed the new code, given that it was never likely to change radically from the version published during the pre-christmas consultation period.

The code’s seven principles are sound, but it is when you get into the detail that the problems start.

Take paragraph 14 for example

“Local authorities should consider whether it is appropriate to seek advice from economic analysts, public relations experts or other sources of expert advice before embarking on a publicity campaign involving very large expenditure.”

Is this encouraging people to seek expert (and dare I even say outside (consultants) help or not? Answers on a postcard please, but maybe it is deliberately vague, lets hope so.

Elsewhere, congratulations to the small handful of London authorities who have over-stepped the mark in producing the so-called weekly ‘town hall pravdas’ hated by Mr. Pickles, who are responsible for everyone else now only being allowed to publish a quarterly magazine.

Weekly is too frequent, quarterly too far apart in my view. Surely there is happy medium? Anyway, the current economic reality is that many authorities will be lucky to commit to a quarterly publication, never mind anything more revolutionary.

As ever there is some sense in here, but in seeking to change the status quo the new code goes too far in the opposite direction.

And one final point – the number of local newspapers that will be saved by this crackdown on council magazines – by money is firmly on zero.

Chris Taylor, Managing Director