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City of San Leandro – Strategic Communications Plan | 17 include the City Council, City department managers, community leaders, business leaders, City board/commission members and other opinion leaders. Distribution methods include posting to social media outlets, adding a link to the City website, and sending via email to key audiences (especially employees), etc. Obtaining media outlet permission to reproduce stories is advised. Prepare occasional “op-ed stories”. Preparing op-ed stories on local, regional and statewide topics and placed with print and online outlets can be a very effective method of increasing the City’s visibility and educating the public on issues before they become highly controversial. These pieces should focus on broad topics which impact many residents and/or business owners, and touch on a variety of sides to any given issue. Opinion or guest columns are generally pitched to the op- ed page editor and are offered exclusively to that publication as a means of generating interest. They can also appear on the City’s website once they have appeared in print and can be “pushed” electronically to various opinion leader databases and through social media. These would be authored by various City department heads or the City Manager. Implement a written media policy. A written media relations policy should be developed and adopted. It should state when to issue press releases; identify how media calls should be dealt with; who should and should not respond; who to go to for assistance; how inquiries relating to legal and personnel issues should be handled; etc. Handling Public Records Act requests would also be addressed. Prepare easy-to-read summary of City Council agenda items and actions. A brief summary should be prepared of major City Council agenda items and the resulting action for use by the news media, for posting on the City’s website, for posting to social media channels and to send to community leaders via a “push” email program. Refine electronic Media Room on the website. The Media Room needs to be a one-stop- shop for journalists needing information about the City and each department, including an archive of news releases (in keyword-searchable format), and should be planned for use during both day-to-day and emergency situations. A robust Media Room should include links to background information on a variety of projects, Q&As and fact sheets on key City issues, high- and low-resolution still and video images (including b-roll for TV broadcast use), graphics, maps, etc. Links can also be provided to other resources which are of use to the media in emergencies. Recommend update to this portion of the City website during site redesign. Move toward “City News Center.” As the breadth and capability of the mainstream news media continues to decline and the lack of confidence in the objectivity grows, public agencies have moved to fill the void by creating their own “News Channel” which consolidates agency information into a single site. San Diego County has adopted this approach and reports tremendous success with direct subscribers as well as extensive use of the site content by area news outlets. Ventura County has also adopted this approach and reports exceptional use by the public and the media. See the appendix for a fuller description of Ventura County’s channel as well as a link to the San Diego County news channel. Prepare articles for trade publications that highlight the City’s unique programs or accomplishments. A trade journal article has many benefits: the City employee who authors the story receives recognition and public employees from other regions/states see that San Leandro is a leader, and thus a desirable place to work. Further,