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City staff outlines draft policy to separate official communications from community media
Summary
City Administrator Steve Barr and Communications Director Tom Laux described a draft policy to clarify that the government channel will carry official city communications, while the producer and Marshfield Now channels will remain community media; the communications committee will review the draft March 30 and the council may consider it April 14.
City Administrator Steve Barr and Communications Director Tom Laux briefed the council on a draft announcement policy intended to clarify the difference between official city communications and community media operated under the Marshfield Broadcasting umbrella.
Laux explained the proposed framework: the government channel and official city platforms (website, press releases and direct notifications) would host verified, city-sanctioned announcements and programming, while the producer channel and Marshfield Now would remain open community-media outlets for resident-submitted programming. The draft policy seeks to maintain a content-neutral approach consistent with First Amendment constraints, Laux said, and would move city announcements exclusively to the government channel.
Barr said the city attorney provided a memo outlining legal considerations and that staff will take the draft to the communications committee on March 30 for review before returning to the full council April 14. Laux invited public participation at the communications committee meeting.
Next steps: communications committee review March 30; council consideration possible April 14 if the committee forwards a recommendation.
