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Trustees debate public-relations policy language and send proposed media rules back to committee
Summary
Trustees discussed wording that would require trustees to indicate whether they speak as individuals or for the board when submitting letters or articles; members asked for clearer wording and agreed to return the draft to the Public Relations Committee for revision.
Trustees spent significant time debating a proposed public-relations and media policy that would clarify how trustees and staff identify themselves when submitting letters or articles to the press.
The director explained the draft would allow individuals to submit pieces "by identifying themselves by name and their position, such as board member or staff member," require the director receive an advance copy and require majority approval if an item officially represents the board. Several trustees recommended adding a short disclaimer or phrasing that clearly differentiates personal opinion from official board positions.
"If you're speaking on behalf of the committee, you state that," one committee member said during the discussion, urging clear language about when a writer is "speaking for the board" versus writing in a personal capacity. Another member recommended a simple line that indicates for whom a person is speaking so readers do not assume a piece represents the entire board.
A motion to accept the policy was made and seconded, but following discussion trustees agreed not to finalize the wording tonight and asked the Public Relations Committee to return with tightened language and recommended phrasing before a final vote.
The board left the item on the agenda so the committee can refine the wording and bring a revised draft to a future meeting; no final policy was adopted at this session.
