Perranzabuloe Parish Council (PPC)
Communications and Media Policy
Adopted 15 December 2025 • Review Date: December 2026
Local Government publicity is guided by the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity. The code is statutory guidance and therefore Councils must have regard to it and follow its provisions.
Failure to follow the revised policy could lead to a breach of the statutory Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity and the risk of adverse publicity, which could damage PPC’s reputation.
It is important that all Officers and Councillors who might come into contact with the media understand the implications of this code. Perranzabuloe Parish Council’s (PPC) policy explains this within a local context.
Without proper co-ordination it would be difficult to ensure that the messages put out by PPC is consistent and accurate. However, if communication is managed effectively, PPC will be able to create and seize opportunities to communicate with stakeholders and the public and build an accurate and positive reputation.
This policy acts as a simple reference tool for any officer or councillor who might need to engage with the media. It can clarify roles and responsibilities and help manage expectations.
1. Introduction
PPC receives enquiries from the media every year, issues several news releases, organises photo opportunities and arranges broadcast interviews.
The purpose of this policy is to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Clerk, all Officers and Councillors involved in dealing with the media, and to provide guidance on how to handle media interest.
PPC recognises the need for openness and this should be reflected in how the media communications are dealt with.
The aim of the policy is to ensure that PPC is seen to communicate in a professional and objective manner. In all cases, PPC’s approach to the media should be:
- open and honest
- proactive
- responsive and timely
In summary, all press enquiries should be addressed to the office and the Clerk is responsible for issuing any releases and organising interviews.
2. The Legal Context
This policy reflects the guidance contained in the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity 2001 (as amended). The policy should be read in conjunction with the Members Code of Conduct, the Employee Handbook, the Policy for Member/Employee relations and the Principles of Good Practice. All publicity will be produced in line with PPC’s equality and diversity guidelines.
3. Perranzabuloe Paris Council’s Approach to Publicity
The media plays a significant role in informing residents about what PPC does and how it spends their money (at all tiers of Government). It is therefore vital that PPC communicates effectively with the media and wherever possible will take a positive approach to meeting media requests for information and interviews.
This approach will help achieve the following objectives:
Ensure that PPC is recognised as one which is open, accountable, accessible and which listens
- Share and celebrate PPC’s successes
- Give information about policies and services and about the democratic process so that people feel more informed about PPC’s work
- Handle negative issues clearly and decisively
4. The Media
The local press generally only covers stories relevant to people living and working in Perranzabuloe and the immediate surrounding areas. They include newspapers such as the West Briton (paid for). Other local media include radio stations such as BBC Cornwall which has specific target audiences.
Regional media includes newspapers like the Western Morning News and the two regional television stations – BBC (Spotlight) and West Country News.
It is unlikely that Perranzabuloe Parish Council would be involved in media communications at a national, international or specialist level; however, the policy remains pertinent in these cases.
The Internet is the fastest growing area of the media. All broadcasters and newspapers now also provide online news services about what is happening in Perranzabuloe and in Perranzabuloe Parish Council.
5. Identifying Newsworthy Items
It is the responsibility of everyone working within PPC to identify worthy news items and this should be done as early as possible. These might include PPC run events or events promoting successes of PPC. The Clerk will make the decision as to whether a news or press release should be issued.
6. Handling Media Enquiries
The Clerk will co-ordinate all media enquiries into the parish council office. In certain circumstances it may be appropriate for the Chair of the Committee to respond to the enquiry.
Officers who are directly approached by a member of the media should not attempt to answer questions themselves without gleaning the full facts and should confer with the Clerk before responding. However, simple factual queries will be dealt with appropriately at the parish council office.
Members who are directly approached by a member of the media may respond in accordance with the guidance contained in this policy.
PPC should not pass comment on leaks, anonymous allegations or allegations about individual staff and Members. PPC is open and accountable and should always explain if there is a reason why it cannot answer a specific enquiry.
7. News Releases
News/press releases are one of the techniques for publicising Council activities, decisions and achievements.
There are two types of news releases – Official Council Press Releases and Councillor Press Releases.
Official Council Press Releases/Statements
An official Council release/statement is made on behalf of PPC as a whole; it will be written by an Officer and issued by the Clerk. It is non-party political and will normally include a quote from the relevant Councillor(s). This is usually the Chair of PPC or Committee Chair.
Official Council press releases/statements will follow a corporate style appropriate for the media being targeted and a central record will be maintained. All releases/statements will accurately reflect the corporate view of PPC, contain relevant facts and include an approved quotation from the appropriate Councillor. Matters of style, presentation, punctuation, grammar etc. are the responsibility of the author.
Releases will not promote the views of specific political groups, publicise the activities of individual Councillors, identify a member’s political party or seek to persuade the general public to hold a particular view.
All official Council news/press releases will be placed on PPC’s website within one working day of issue.
It should be borne in mind that a news or press release is not always the best way to publicise an activity or event and alternative ways of advertising it should be considered eg posters, mailings, websites, social networking etc.
Councillor Press Releases
Councillor press releases are personal and are written and issued by the Councillor responsible. This release may or may not be political and should not include the name of any officer, use PPC logo or PPC telephone number as a point of contact. It would be beneficial for copies of intended releases, especially those of a factual nature, to be sent to the Clerk. Councillors seeking advice can either contact the Clerk or the Monitoring Officer at Cornwall Council.
8. Interviews
Any officer contacted by a journalist requesting an interview should refer the journalist to the Clerk, the Chairman, or the appropriate Committee Chair. The person put forward for interview will depend on the situation and the information required by the journalist.
Officers should never give their opinion on specific PPC policy but must keep to the corporate line and key messages. Their role is to provide expertise and factual knowledge only in support of PPC’s approved and agreed policies.
9. Media Activity Ahead of Meetings
The media pick up many stories from agendas and reports ahead of meetings. All Council and Committee agendas are automatically sent to the local and regional media and published on the Perranzabuloe Parish Council website.
Members of the media are welcome to attend and regularly do attend Council and Committee meetings. During meetings Members should be mindful that any comments and messages are put across in a manner which gives the journalist an accurate picture, rather than relying on the journalist’s interpretation of what can be a complex issue or report.
10. Publicity in Election Periods
The rules governing publicity change when an election has been announced. In the period between the notice of an election and the election itself (Purdah) all proactive publicity about candidates or other politicians is halted. This applies to local, national or European elections.
During this period PPC publicity should not deal with controversial issues or report views, proposals or recommendations in a way that identifies them with individual members or groups of members. This is to make sure that no individual councillor or political party gains an unfair advantage by appearing in corporate publicity. In these circumstances, where a quote is required for the press, the relevant officer may be quoted, in accordance with the guidelines in this policy.
11. Non-Council Related Media Activity
Officers and Councillors of PPC who have contact with the media in a personal capacity or as members of non-Council related organisations must not refer to their Council posts and must make it clear to the journalist concerned that they are speaking in a personal capacity or on behalf of the non-Council related organisation.
12. Managing Negative Issues
From time to time PPC has to respond to negative issues. It is important that these situations are managed carefully so as to limit the potential for negative publicity.
Officers and Councillors must alert the Clerk as soon as a potentially negative issue which may attract media interest comes to light. They should not wait until contact is made by the media.
Officers and Councillors must be prepared to work together to prepare holding statements and other information and carry out research even if no media have contacted PPC about an issue.
13. Correcting Inaccurate Reporting
Should the media (a newspaper or broadcaster) publish/broadcast something inaccurate about PPC, a quick decision needs to be taken on any action necessary to correct it.
The issue should be discussed with the Clerk to decide what action is appropriate. This could be a letter or news release, a conversation with the journalist concerned, a personal letter to the editor or legal advice. The Clerk will also decide who the most appropriate person is to take the necessary agreed action i.e., the Chairman, Committee Chair or Clerk.
It should be noted that in the case of minor inaccuracies which have little or no impact on the message being conveyed, it can sometimes be counterproductive to complain. Each case must be judged individually.
Occasionally PPC will get something wrong. In these cases, damage limitation is the key – this can usually be achieved by accepting responsibility, apologising, and stating how we are going to learn from the error or put it right.
14. Monitoring and Evaluation
PPC will continually monitor media coverage and collate statistics to circulate to Councillors.
15. Freedom of Information and Data Protection
Councillors are reminded that they must not misuse PPC resources for political or other inappropriate purposes. Should PPC receive a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on a topic on which there is correspondence (email or written), normally that correspondence would have to be disclosed, unless it was exempt. The fact that the disclosure of the correspondence may prove embarrassing would not, in itself, prevent disclosure.
In addition, care should be taken when processing personal data. The General Data Protection Regulations 2018 prevent the use of personal information other than for the purposes for which it was supplied. Councillors should bear this in mind when using any personal data which may be supplied to them by their constituents.
16. Internet Acceptable Use Policy
Internet use covers all websites (including the Members section of the Perranzabuloe Parish Council website), social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter etc., and forums and blogs which may be used by both Officers and Councillors. Reference should be made to PPC’s Social Media Policy.
If the above are used in an official capacity or on PPC related business, the guidance in this policy must be adhered to and they must be used in a responsible and appropriate manner.
Under the consideration of Acceptable Use, when acting in the capacity of Perranzabuloe Parish Council, websites and social media should not:
- contain content that may result in actions for libel, defamation or other claims for damages.
- be used to process personal data other than for the purpose stated at the time of capture.
- promote any political party or be used for political campaigning.
- promote personal financial interests or commercial ventures.
- be used for personal campaigns.
- be used in an abusive, hateful or disrespectful manner.
If social media is used in an unofficial capacity, Councillors and Officers should refrain from making remarks that could be construed as bringing PPC into disrepute.
The above points should provide useful guidance to prevent misinterpretation.
It is best practice on any personal profile for an online social media account to state clearly that the views are those of the individual and may not represent the views of Perranzabuloe Parish Council. It is also advised that PPC’s logo, or any other PPC related material is not used on a personal online account, for example, website, blog or social media platform as a profile picture or icon representing that account.
17. Young People and Publicity
Guidelines should be followed if commissioning photographs of children (i.e., under 18 years of age) or if planning photography of children at events and using visual media for publicity purposes.
Please refer to:
Safeguarding children and young people and young vulnerable adults policy. This can be found at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted
This policy will be renewed annually.