City News Alerts is the premiere go-to PIO for municipalities across the United States. Hiring a full-time PIO, writing content, gathering photos, then hiring a web developer to publish the data online used to be something only big-budget cities could afford. Alarmingly, with overburdened work loads and growing health and retirement costs, even for large cities very little funding exists to efficiently meet this demand. Talking with city officials across the nation has unearthed a common theme - there is great pressure to get information out faster than light one defining event at a time TM. One echoed drawback is that often reports received under-the-gun are not corroborated or vetted. Placing officials in the awkward position of having to publicly self correct.

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Consider the following scenarios. Do any feel familiar?

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First Scenario

A natural disaster is unfolding. The situation is rapidly changing, developing

a life of its own. City officials are scrambling to gather reports from first-responders

to push to their communities. Your team turns exclusively to social media to

get the word out. Big Mistake. The reality is when it comes to pace, social media

is a useful format if you are looking to trend like wildfire. Unfortunately, the restrictive, linear format does little more than equip your audience with tabloid-esk news while demanding endless scrolling through a barrage of erroneous threads, weeding through  angry comments compounding everyone's frustrations. 

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What we've learned is social media is not the place to set up shop if you are looking

to inspire calm. To retain an authoritative voice and maximize to 99% accuracy the

information being let out, nothing beats a good old fashioned website to serve

as the backbone of your message; using social media as a supplement.

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Second Scenario

The COVID-19 pandemic creates a cruel challenge for cities around the nation. It is one of the few times multiple public agencies at the federal, state, and local levels are simultaneously being converged on for information and action. And despite the number of press conferences or briefs, not one of them is talking about how your community might be affected and what you can do to prepare. Still, instead of standing firm as a leader you abdicate your voice, post a jpeg, link to an external site, then consider your work done. Big, big mistake. The message your community is left with? ...that you either don't know crisis management or you don't know enough to show you care. You've told them your voice does not matter, that there are other voices worth listening to, much more valuable than your own.

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What we know is that local communities want to hear from their leaders. They want to hear from voices who have considered local challenges and ramifications, like the City's Community Center's needs, or the Senior Center's schedule, or their children's SATs. They want thoughtful community leaders. As the COVID-19 crisis blossoms, when communities most want to hear local voices, 99.9% of municipal leaders have gotten it 100% wrong.

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Third Scenario

A political story is brewing. Something about a city official doing wrong. You're contacted by the local newspaper to sit for an interview. You've never trusted this reporter. A history of  biased, recklessly slanted reporting has more than once left you peeved. Still, you oblige. Allowing media access is very much part of your job. The next week the story posts, with all your words turned around. And the calls won't stop coming; and subscribers to your Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites cannot chew your butt fast enough. You decide to remain silent and wait for the storm to pass. Right? WRONG!  We alter negative perceptions.

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What we can prove is that municipalities positioned to provide their own honest voice create loyal, bonded communities. On your city always remember YOU are the voice of authority. Don't stop being the final word.

 

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City News Alerts is a game-changer. Thanks to our service every city, regardless of size, can confidently purchase fully custom built, ready to release for public viewing Public Information Pods. WITHOUT breaking the bank and in less than 24 hours, what municipalities of any size gets is an affordable, easy and hassle-free way to create a professional news alert hub while remaining in control of the narrative. City News Alerts delivers timely, accurate, ready to publish, professional Public Information Pods containing comprehensive information about important breaking news events, public heath alerts, or issues at the center of community consciousness. We help community leaders stay in the driver's seat by providing the tools you need to remain a voice of authority.

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And the benefits keep on coming.

 

• Inspire calm

• Centralize important information

• Professional and engaging design

• Save constituents time by eliminating confusion

• Establish a clear, credible voice using first-person perspective

• Foster community confidence and trust

• Provide local insights that generic messages don't capture

• Take complete control of your story out of the media's hands

• Shape your town's narrative

• Focuses management on the event instead of on correcting the story

• Provides a significant seat at the news table that most municipalities lack

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We can help you hold on to your voice of authority AND keep your residents and businesses totally in-the-know one defining event at a time TM. 

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