By Liz Kresse and Debra DeHaney-Howard
January 31, 2005

The Membership Standing Committee, chaired by Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz met on Monday, January 17 to discuss strategies mayors can employ when working with the media. The discussion was part of the educational component that Kautz has introduced to the Membership Standing Committee program as a service to mayors. The meeting began with an informal presentation by Paul Shepard, a former associated press reporter and current Communication Director of the Eisenhower Foundation, who shared his perspectives as a local and national reporter who has covered cities and mayors. Shepherd began by saying that relationships between mayors and local reporters "don't have to be adversarial or crisis'driven." He recommended that mayors "get to know local reporters" by having candid, off-the-record discussions during which they try to gain insight into reporters' interests and needs. Such discussions can form the beginning of a relationship that can serve mayors well when they interact with the media.

Adding to the discussion was Rhonda Spears Bell, Conference of Mayors Director of Communications and Communications Director for former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial. Bell's central point was that mayors need to "have a voice and be the voice." That is, they should be proactive in getting their perspectives out to the media and should strive to be the official voice of their city. To that end, she recommended that mayors hold regular press conferences so that they have an opportunity to engage with the media in a structured manner, and stressed the importance of taking charge during negative news events by holding a press conference as soon as possible to get the facts out to the media before others have the opportunity to distort those facts.

Several mayors then shared strategies they have successfully employed when working with the local media. Piscataway Mayor Brian C. Wahler meets with the editorial board of his local newspaper several times a year to discuss the issues that are important to him. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich holds press conferences several times a week, works on building relationships with local reporters by "hanging out" with them during assembly meetings, and calls in to local radio talk shows to respond to negative comments. And Kautz hosts her own cable access show twice a month.

Kautz closed the meeting by outlining an aggressive membership plan that will focus primarily on recruitment and retention. Kautz stated that, "maintaining and significantly expanding the Conference of Mayors membership is a high priority for our committee because we need a strong and united voice in Washington, especially during these challenging economic times." She also urged mayors to educate other mayors about the many benefits of Conference membership, such as the opportunity to participate in the Mayors' Institute on City Design.