Rationale

News media outlets, including TV, newspaper, magazine, online, radio, and others, can help the general public to learn about the library, what it offers, and how it supports our community. News media is different from advertising because stories or features are not paid, and the library retains limited control over how the story, event or information is shared.

The following policies and procedures are intended to guide media interactions during the everyday operations of the library. Goals include:

• Creating and sustaining successful relationships with media representatives
• Providing clarity about roles and responsibilities within the library with respect to media relations and clarity to media who works with the library
• Ensuring that with respect to media relations, the library communicates with communities clearly, consistently and thoughtfully.

General policies

• The Director of Libraries and the Public Communications Manager are the official spokespeople for the library, which means they are responsible for speaking on behalf of the library to the media. Other Executive Management Team members or communications and marketing staff may act as spokespeople, as designated.
• Other library staff may serve as subject matter experts if designated by the Director of Libraries, Director of Marketing and Communications or Public Communications Manager.
• The Public Communications Manager is the primary point of contact for media inquiries and should be informed whenever any library staff members are in contact with the news media. Their role is to identify the appropriate spokesperson, collect relevant information, and inform staff when appropriate.
• All efforts to contact the news media must be coordinated with the Public Communications Manager or other designated Communications staff members.
• All libraries and library locations (including Library Administration) are open to the media. As a publicly funded agency, it is critical that the library provide reporters with the access and information they need to do their work, as long as this effort does not disrupt services for library customers.
• Questions from the news media are not to be considered reference questions.

Procedures

• Responding to media inquiries. If a staff member is contacted directly by a reporter or other member of the news media (by phone, e-mail or in person at a service desk), they should refer it to the Public Communications Manager.
  • Media members can contact the library's Public Communications Manager at 971-806-9432 (cell) or by email at shawnc@multcolib.org.
  • Questions about the library from a reporter should not be considered reference questions.
  • If a person has identified themself as a reporter, notify the Public Communications Manager by phone or e-mail. Key information about the contact would be the reporter's name, affiliation, phone number and subject of their inquiry.
• Responding to an unexpected visit by a TV camera crew.
  • The PIC should attempt to reach the Public Communications Manager (or the EMT PIC if unable to reach the Public Communications Manager) immediately to alert them of the situation.
  • If the reporter simply wishes to film within the library, the PIC should follow the procedures detailed in Photography in the Library.
  • If the reporter also wishes to interview a staff person (on or off camera), please refer them to the Public Communications Manager so that an interview can be scheduled. It is professional courtesy for news media to coordinate with the proper spokespeople.
• Responding to media inquiries over the weekend. Reporters who approach library staff on the weekend should be referred to the phone number of the Public Communications Manager under the procedure described above.
• Right to refuse to be interviewed by reporters or to be filmed. No employee is required to talk to the media. If the Communications Office asks you to speak with a reporter, you have the right to say no.
• Procedures for photography and filming within library buildings are detailed in Photography in the Library in the Daily Operations Manual.
• Talking points for staff.  If media coverage results in a significant number of questions from library patrons or the general public, the Public Communications Manager may provide talking points for public services’ staff to reference. Additional information is sometimes also added to the public website.
  • Please send requests for talking points to library-marcom@multco.us.
• Library staff members who write columns or articles about the library for neighborhood newspapers, web pages or any other news outlet should submit them to the Marketing and Communications Director for approval prior to forwarding them to the publisher.
• County-related issues. Media inquiries about county issues should be referred to pressoffice@multco.us.