Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Media Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilors ask whether city should formalize media outreach after misattributed reports
Summary
Councilor Patrick Shea suggested exploring a formal PR approach after media reports sometimes attribute incidents within the Canal Winchester ZIP code to the city; councilors agreed to collect examples to assess frequency and potential response options.
Councilor Patrick Shea raised concerns at the June 1 work session that news reports sometimes describe incidents within the Canal Winchester ZIP code as if they occurred inside city limits, which he said can unfairly affect the city's image. "Canal Winchester is a great place to call home... as the area around us continues to develop and Columbus does what they do, can we, as a city, start looking at maybe hiring a PR firm to help us manage the media?" Shea asked.
Other council members responded that individual members already sometimes contact media outlets about misreporting. Matt Peoples said, "There's a council member who does that consistently," and Chair Richard Moore said several council members already do so. Mayor Steager asked how often the misattribution occurs; Councilor Laurie Amick said it typically involves crime, house fires or similar negative stories that use the postal address rather than municipal boundaries. Shea asked whether staff could explore an organized approach—either assigning the work to a staff member or contracting outside—and suggested collecting examples of past misreports to evaluate options.
No formal action was taken; council asked for examples and discussion about whether staff or a contractor should lead proactive media outreach.
