This document discusses strategies for government communications, including brand journalism, social media, and emergency communications. It emphasizes using owned media like websites and newsletters to share relevant and timely information for residents. During emergencies, a Joint Information Center coordinates public information through press briefings, websites, social media, and hotlines. Effective emergency communication provides accurate, credible information while acknowledging public concerns. Social media allows two-way engagement but messages must be relevant, timely and actionable. Mobile access is now dominant so communications must work across all platforms.

1. Government Communications
Jeremy Lasich, Deputy Director, Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
Anne Curtis, Chief Communications Officer, Town of Herndon

2. Full Picture of Communications

3. Owned Media
• Communication channels that are
within one's control
• Examples
o Websites
o Brochures
o Newsletters
o Video
o Audio
o Signs
o Email

4. Brand Journalism
• Discovering and creating news on
behalf of a brand
• In-house “journalists” using news
principles to create, compile and
rewrite into news-like articles
• Focus on topical needs and interests of
our community – what’s relevant, timely
and actionable to the average resident

5. Brand Journalism

6. Brand Journalism
• Fairfax County NewsCenter Vision
o To create a new news site and more
aggressively, but selectively, package,
promote and publish relevant, timely and
actionable information for our
community.

7. Brand Journalism

8. Brand Journalism
• October 2010 • August 2015

9. Brand Journalism

10. Town of Herndon Brand
Positioning Statement
A next generation small town pulses on the edge of
Fairfax County. Turn off the highway and find yourself
in a place that welcomes innovators, risk-takers,
history seekers and family-keepers. This is where the
roots of history help to grow the ideas of tomorrow.
Brand personality attributes:
Focused, Open, Caring January 8,

11. Town of Herndon Brand

12. Town of Herndon Brand

13. Town of Herndon Brand

14. Town of Herndon Brand

15. Town of Herndon Brand

16. Town of Herndon Brand

17. Town of Herndon Brand

18. Town of Herndon Brand

19. Communications Toolkit
• Common Message, Many Voices
• Ensure a common look, feel, and
message in all county
communications, providing staff
with quick access to county
procedures, standards and
guidelines

20. Communications Toolkit
• 50+ County Agencies sending out
information
• Hundreds of publications and letters
using different formats and branding
• Thousands of employees using
different business cards
• 1 million+ residents receiving mixed
communications from their
government

21. Communications Toolkit

22. Communications Toolkit

23. Communications Toolkit

24. Communications Toolkit

25. Communications Toolkit

26. Communications Toolkit

27. Communications Toolkit

28. Social Media

29. Media vs. Social Media
• “... the old, linear model for information
dissemination of authorities-to-public
relations-to-media is outmoded...”
• (with social media) “ ... the public is able
to take not only a more active part in
seeking information, but also in providing
information to each other...”
- Palen and Liu, 2007

30. Content
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
SlideShare
InstagramPinterest
Google+
SoundCloud
LinkedIn • Content can be shared
on multiple platforms,
but not in the same way;
each platform has its own
“culture”
• Tweets can point to
SlideShare; Facebook can
point to SoundCloud, etc.
• ECOSYSTEM
Social Tools are All Connected

31. Facebook Fundamental
Truth #1
• You must always
think about the
Facebook
NewsFeed.
• Updates will
appear amid
family, cute
babies, puppies,
celebrities and
other
organizations.

32. Facebook Fundamental
Truth #2
• Facebook Pages are not visited often.
• Very few people will actually visit a Facebook
Page after they “like” it. They will rely on the
NewsFeed for updates.
• Many people will never “like” a page but see
updates shared from friends.

33. Facebook Fundamental
Truth #3
• NewsFeed Ranking is critical to be aware of
on Facebook.
• It decides what content will be displayed to
each user based on many factors.

34. Facebook NewsFeed
Ranking

35. Facebook Fundamental
Truth #4
• Mobile is quickly becoming the dominant way
people view content on Facebook.
• 78.9% of Facebook’s daily American users are on
mobile.

36. Twitter = Most Important Social Tool
• Why?
o Open network (not closed like Facebook)
o You can see all updates*
o People + Organizations + Media
o Hashtags
o Breaking news

37. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #1
• Listening and monitoring
are critical to success.
• Find the conversations
relevant to your subject
matter and our
community.
• Engage (as needed).
• NOT just a push tool.

38. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #2
• Twitter is a two-way
conversation
• You MUST interact
on Twitter.

39. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #3
• You must always
think about the Twitter
timeline.
• Updates will appear
amid sports, news,
celebrities,
cute babies, cute
puppies and other
organizations.
• Add value, not noise.

40. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #4
• Your Twitter.com profile is not visited often.
• Very few people will actually visit a Twitter
page after they follow you. They will rely on
the Twitter timeline to see your updates.

41. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #5
• Tweet content multiple times.
• People on Twitter at 9 a.m. are likely
different than the people at 9 p.m.
• “… if you’re making social media only a
part of a 9 to 5 work day, you might be
missing out on connecting with consumers
during the times they’re likely to be online.”
• Just because you’ve said it once on Twitter
doesn’t mean you’ve said it! 

42. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #6
• Shelf life of a tweet is often 1 to 2 hours.

43. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #7
• Mobile is THE dominant way people view
Twitter.

44. Twitter Fundamental
Truth #8
• Hashtags let anyone contribute to a
local, regional, national or niche
conversation

45. #hashtags
• No one “owns” a hashtag. Anyone can use a
hashtag and contribute to a conversation
about that topic.
• Media, TV shows, company brands,
governments, conferences and others use
hashtags …

46. #hashtags

47. #hashtags

48. Social Media Posts
• Relevant
• Timely
• Actionable

49. Preferred Types of Posts
• Relevant: Pertains to people’s daily lives

50. Preferred Types of Posts
• Timely: Deadlines, events, related to current
events

51. Preferred Types of Posts
• Actionable: Register, attend, etc.

52. • Personal Opinions
• PDFs
• Commercial/private sector information (i.e.,
endorsements)
• Internal content such as awards or employee
info
• Do not try to control the conversation; be a
participant with facts
What Not To Post

53. Mobile+Social
• Mobile devices have cemented the power
and reach of social media today
• This is THE game changer -- an information
revolution like no other
• Mobile devices are everywhere

54. • 2005: Pope John
Paul II’s funeral
(1 flip phone
bottom right)
• 2013: Naming of
Pope Francis
Smartphone Explosion

55. Other Social Media Tools
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Flickr
• Blogs
• Slideshare
• LinkedIn
• Soundcloud
• Pintrest
• Periscope
• Vine

56. Social Media
“We can no longer afford to work
at the speed of government. We
must remain relevant to the
people we serve.”
-- Los Angeles Fire Department PIO Brian Humphrey
about using social media tools

57. Emergency Communications
“There cannot be a crisis next week. My
schedule is already full.”
Henry A. Kissinger
former U.S. Secretary of State

59. Emergency Communication
• When emergencies
happen, jurisdictions will
usually:
o Activate the
Emergency Operations
Center (EOC)
o Activate the
Joint Information
Center (JIC)

60. Incident Command Structure

61. Joint Information Center
Incident Commander
PIO
OPA
Director/Designee
JIC Coordinator
Writer(s)/ Liaison Web/Social Media Admin/WebEOC Hotline
The Joint Information Center (JIC) follows ICS structure. Key messages are approved by the IC.
Staff Locations
EOC Floor
Senior Policy Room
JIC (room 2207)
Off site
Field PIOs

62. Joint Information Center
• A JIC supports EOC and the field PIO(s) at
the incident scene.
• The JIC is the physical location within the
EOC from which external affairs professionals
from organizations involved in the response
and recovery work together to provide
critical emergency information, media
response and public affairs functions.
• The JIC coordinates the release of
information to the public, media, employees
and other stakeholders about the county’s
disaster response and recovery efforts.

63. Joint Information Center
• A JIC is the central point for coordination of
incident information, public affairs activities
and media access regarding the incident.
• A JIC supports EOC and the field PIO(s) at
the incident scene.
• The JIC reviews and coordinates all
information releases through all
communication channels.

64. Joint Information Center
64
JIC personnel write news releases,
talking points, FAQs, update
website/blog and social media
content, support field PIO(s) and more
from the JIC.

65. Media Briefings
Joint Information Center

66. Joint Information Center
• Tools
o Emergency Information Blog
o County Website
o Mobile Website and Apps
o Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.)
o Alerts
o Hotlines
o Audio and Video
o Flyers

67. Emergency Communication
• When people are stressed or upset, they
have difficulty:
o Hearing information
o Understanding information
o Remembering information
• Rule of three
o Low stress situations
• Brain can hold 7 messages on average
o High stress situations
• Brain can hold 3 messages on average

68. Emergency Communication
• In the first five minutes, residents are looking
for confirmation that an incident happened.
• Acknowledge and Identify the event with
advisory/next steps (“verify” the event).
• ID only immediate actions for the public to
take, where it occurred and the impacted
area. Simple, basic facts.

69. Emergency Communication
• Accuracy versus timely
o Waiting for all information to be verified can create a vacuum of
information
o Releasing information too quickly can lead to inaccurate
statements that will spread quickly
o Release bits of information as they are learned
• Monitor regular and social media
o Realize there will be confusion, instant reactions, photos,
eyewitness accounts, questions, concerns
• Show compassion

70. Emergency Communication
Be first.
Be credible.
Be accurate.
It’s not just the tweets
… it’s retweets too!

71. First Tweet – 5:21 a.m.
71
Emergency Communication

72. 72
Emergency Communication

73. Police Held Multiple
News Conferences
73
Emergency Communication

74. • @FairfaxPolice 1.8 million impressions
(5 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Gained 2,000 new followers in 8 hours
• Power of a Tweet
74
Emergency Communication

75. Media Relations
“The questions don’t do the damage.
Only the answers do.”
Sam Donaldson

76. The sooner we accept the fact that anything we say
or do can become public, the better off we are.
Who is the Media?

77. Reporters’ Responsibilities:
o Immediately identify themselves
o Immediately identify their news
organization
o State the purpose of the interview
o Ask reasonable and intelligent
questions
o Write and report an accurate and
fair story
Media Relations

78. Staff Responsibilities
o Call your agency PIO
o Determine who will speak to the
reporter
o Arrange the time and place
and circumstances of the
interview
o Prepare for the interview
o Respect reporters’ deadlines
o Separate politics from policy
o Don’t use jargon, buzz words or
government-speak
Media Relations

79. Cooperate through preparation
Convey your key messages
Control the interview
Three Cs of Communication

80. • Provide background information
• Set ground rules
o There is no such thing as “off the record”
o If you don’t want it reported, don’t say it
o Inquire about the type of questions that will be asked
• ask your PIO to do a pre-interview with the
reporter
o Determine if you are the best spokesperson on the issue
Cooperate

81. Determine your key points and your
goals and objectives:
 Make your points early and often
 Bridge your message to issues you want
to raise
 Prepare a fact sheet
 The same question may be asked more
than once and asked in different ways
Convey Your Key Objectives

82. • If there are injuries or property damage first
express sympathy or concern
o (We are very sorry about… We are very concerned for…
• Don’t offer anything not asked unless it is positive
• Always tell the truth
• Remember who is in the audience
• Use examples (not long stories)
• Never argue
• Never make jokes when there is bad news
• Listen carefully
Convey Your Key Objectives

83. Control the Interview
• Considerations for the interview
o The goals of the agency and the county
o The key messages
o The unintended consequences of your
remarks
o The reporter’s deadline

84. Control the Interview
• Considerations for the interview
o What is the reporter’s angle?
o Who is the audience?
o Placement – where and when the story will appear
o Confidentiality – HIPAA, ethics, personnel issues
o Comparisons – who else is being interviewed?

85. Control the Interview
• Don’t let a reporter put words in your mouth
• Correct all inaccuracies immediately
• Turn negative questions into positive answers
• Stay calm, cool, and collected
• Practice the waiting game

86. What
o What is happening?
Why
o Why has ______ occurred?
How
o How did _____ happen?
o How much is it going to cost?
Where
o Where will _____ go?
When
o When will _____ happen?
o When will _____ be complete?
Who
o Who is responsible?
Expect These Questions

87. A case
study in
poor
messaging
Media Relations

88. Interview Exercise