Lessons in staying out of political hot water for government agencies

Government agencies and unelected officials face the challenge of promoting important public initiatives without getting entangled in partisan battles. During election season, that task can feel like even more of an uphill battle as politics threaten to pull municipal, state and federal governments into potentially hostile waters.

Even a hint of political bias can undermine the important day-to-day administrative work you’re trying to accomplish. And that’s especially important during an era when only about half of Americans hold favorable impressions of most federal government agencies.

“There’s always a heightened level of scrutiny,” Kerri Richardson, president and chief business development officer of C2 Strategic Communications, said of the buildup to November.

Richardson has experienced those situations firsthand, first as a TV reporter in Western Kentucky and then as a communications director for former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, the father of the commonwealth’s current governor.

Richardson stressed the key to making it through unscathed is staying focused on the work the agency does throughout the rest of the year.

“The ultimate goal is to serve the public first and foremost,” Richardson said. “That has to be the guiding principle, regardless of the political climate.”

Let your legal team cover your backside 

For communications staff whose purpose is to call positive attention to city initiatives, programs, services and leaders every day can be a minefield during election season.

The first rule of developing a strategy for how to approach election season is to recognize that you are in that minefield, said Dan Hassert, who leads communications for the city of Covington, Kentucky.

Things like sharing news about the mayor accepting an award on behalf of the city or sharing photos with a candidate have the potential to become hotbed issues in the middle of a contested election.

To alleviate some of those concerns, lean on the expertise of your legal and executive teams to ask for guidance on specific scenarios that may arise.

Hassert, for instance, requests the opinions of his city manager and city solicitor on topics such as if it would be OK for his team to continue setting up interviews for a commissioner/candidate in the interest of building public support for an issue or project they’ve been invested in previously.

“The answers I get are more than CYA protection,” Hassert said. “They guide my staff and me as we try to remain fair and consistent.”

Be prepared for heightened scrutiny 

It’s never good to guess or make assumptions about the context of a reporter’s question. But Richardson called doing that a particularly “dangerous path” during election season when every word is scrutinized.

A question about travel or public schedules for an elected official could fall into this category. Sometimes an inquiry is actually about the costs of travel. But that request could also be for a story about how travel for a public event helped get an official to the same town as a private fundraising event.

It’s not always possible to do a deeper dive into a reporter’s story angle. After all, a public record request asks what it asks. But it’s helpful to understand the context when possible.

Don’t have the information? Remember: “I don’t know” and “I will find out” are complete and appropriate responses if the information isn’t readily available.

“The fastest way to build continued rapport with the reporting public is to be just responsive,” Richardson said.

Be aware of the broader political landscape

Any media planning that takes place during an election cycle needs to center around the current political climate – the start of the races, controversial topics, whether there’s a candidate trying to make an issue out of a situation. Knowing those things will enable you to anticipate questions and hopefully avoid getting drawn into potentially partisan narratives, Richardson said.

Simply keeping up with news coverage and understanding how topics related to a given department could turn into a political issue is important, Richardson said. For example, scheduling a news conference with an elected official to tout great job numbers a week after a major plant closure is inviting criticism unless there’s context to add.

When Richardson was in the Louisville mayor’s office, a council member made a “big stink” about the cost of the city’s granite curbing downtown, Richardson said. The city used the pricier material due to extremely high wear and tear on downtown streets; the council representative thought concrete would be better. Before the mayor appeared before any media, Richardson’s team made sure he was prepared with the cost comparison and technical expert recommendations on curbing materials.

“Everything we do has to be rooted in data and process,” she added. “That way you can highlight why we’re doing something a particular way and provide the data used to get to that decision.”

Stay on mission

Government departments and agencies aren’t running for office.  

As such, the talking points, speeches and social media comments that come out of the communications office need to be tailored to their everyday work, business practices and administrative processes only.

If a department director is taking part in a transportation-related press conference, for example, make sure their comments are on the specific ins and outs of the project.

It’s OK for them to show appreciation to electeds who’ve supported the effort, but keep the comments limited to a thank you. Anything about a political matter needs to result in referral to a campaign.

“Your role is to focus on the work of the agency, not the campaign rhetoric,” Richardson said. “Emphasize (the facts) behind the decisions, not the partisan spin.”

Richardson stressed the importance of actively listening to and engaging with members of the public, even if their opinions differ, to demonstrate that their voices are heard. Staying focused on serving the public interest is the most important part of a government communicator’s job, regardless of the political climate or the time of year.

“That’s the best way to serve the public interest, no matter what’s happening on the campaign trail,” Richardson said.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.