Ashland reviews communications strategy, plans shift to digital newsletter and expanded outreach

Dorinda Cottle, Ashland—s communications officer, presented an overview of the city—s communications strategy during the council—s June 2 study session, describing recent improvements and planned changes aimed at increasing accuracy, accessibility and resident engagement.

Cottle summarized progress including a redesigned website, expanded social media presence, revived newsletters and new outreach channels such as in-person presentations and office hours. She described planned steps for the coming year: transitioning to a fully digital newsletter, increasing video content and making greater regional outreach part of the communications program.

Councilors praised improvements but raised implementation concerns. Members pressed for simple, measurable performance indicators to track reach and impact and asked staff to consider equity for residents who prefer printed materials. Councilors suggested pursuing partnerships with Southern Oregon University for internships and exploring artificial-intelligence tools to support content creation while preserving accuracy and timeliness.

The presentation identified staffing and timing as the principal challenges: the communications office currently operates with limited dedicated staff, and councilors emphasized the need to better align release timing with council agendas so residents receive information when decisions are finalized. Cottle acknowledged those constraints and described plans to reduce redundant channels and prioritize messages that matter most to the community.

The discussion closed with agreement to pursue the proposed digital transition while tracking the effect on residents who rely on print. Councilors asked staff to return with simple metrics and a plan to mitigate any negative effects on residents without reliable digital access.