MMA convenes municipal communicators

From the Beacon, September 2024

Journalist Sydney J. Harris is credited with saying, “The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.”

When municipal officials think about communicating with residents, taxpayers and stakeholders, one of the biggest challenges is just that: getting through.

This challenge has always been present, but it is certainly exacerbated by an increasingly busy and thereby distracted populace, an ever-shifting social media landscape, and an ongoing loss of local news outlets. This means that it is increasingly harder for you to get your message out about key priorities and programs being initiated and managed by your communities.

This challenge grows even more daunting in the face of insidious misinformation efforts that many communities face on various social media channels. As they say, a lie gets around the world twice before the truth even gets its shoes on.

With limited time and resources, and the lack of an objective local press in many places, the work of getting through to residents with accurate and truthful information keeps getting harder and harder.

So what can local government leaders do in the face of these challenges? A first step is to take intentional action focused on your communications tools, strategies and staffing.

Many communities already have staff dedicated to communications. Others have a staff person with varied responsibilities who has communications as part of their duties. And some communities, based on resource constraints, aren’t able to staff a communications function.

At the MMA, we prioritize connecting municipal professionals across multiple subject matter areas. Moreover, we are well aware of the communications challenges that you’re facing. And that is why we are excited to announce the launch of Massachusetts Municipal Communicators, a new affiliate member group dedicated to enhancing municipal communications. (See related story.)

The initiative has been designed to support professionals who manage communications for cities and towns through a variety of resources and networking opportunities. The MMC will host webinars and in-person events to help MMC members improve their skills in communications, learn best practices, and connect with peers.

This new group already has 184 members, which is an amazing testament to the commitment that local government in Massachusetts is already making to communicating with its residents and stakeholders.

I want to express my appreciation to our Membership Director, Candace Pierce, as well as to local practitioners Sean Dugan and Jeremy Warnick, for leading the effort to form this new group and bring it under the MMA umbrella. Effective communication is critical to the success of every organization, including local governments, and this group will facilitate the idea exchange to help meet the evolving challenges.