Administrative Regulation 5.01-4

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 5.01-4 DATE APPROVED: March 27, 2012
SUBJECT: News Releases ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: County Administrator

POLICY:


All County Departments and Offices supervised by the County Administrator shall submit proposed news releases to the Public Information Officer for approval prior to release to the media. 

PROCEDURE:

  1. Press Releases – a press release is a time sensitive incident specific consolidated release that informs the public in a concise manner. The information conveyed should address Who, What, Where, Why, How and a duration if known. (example: A Tornado Watch is declared for the Citrus Springs area from 2 pm till 5 pm today by the Citrus County EOC due to severe thunderstorm activity). 
    •  Emergency information intended to alert the public to hazard conditions (ex. hurricane, fire, etc.) 
    • Health or safety concerns (ex. rabies, bacteria in water bodies) 
    • Events concerning county policies and/or procedures (ex. posting of lifeguards at beaches)
    • Information regarding changes or programs which are of value to the citizens or visitors of Citrus County 
    • Other high profile information that may be controversial in nature
  2.  Informational News Notes – a more detailed information package to educate the public about an important issue, program or service. The information should also convey Who, What, Where, Why and How but can include expanded text, photos or other support documents. (example: The Citrus County Building Division wants to remind all citizens that any construction work conducted on your property requires a building permit and must be done as either a homeowner/builder or by a licensed contractor. The Building Division maintains records on local licensed contractors if you want to confirm credentials before executing a contract). 
  3. This news release policy is intended to ensure that information released to the public is error free, consistent with county policy and is properly formatted and distributed uniformly to all interested media providers. 
  4. When in doubt as to whether approval is required for release to the media, contact the County Public Information Officer for direction. When possible, proposed news releases should be submitted at least one day prior to the proposed release date.

FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES RELATED TO AR’s: Supersedes AR No. 5.01-3 dated January 26, 2010