Media team provides good value

The council’s media team that he referred to consists of existing staff brought together following internal consultation to provide a more cost effective service.

The principal role of this team is not just to produce the residents’ magazine but to communicate information both internally and externally to the public; the Focus magazine is only one part of this, which also includes writing press releases, marketing and website news and more recently social media management. The council has only one dedicated press officer who now works with marketing and design colleagues as part of the media team. This team provides information for other councils and brings in revenue.

The magazine itself is a proven cost effective way of informing the public what is going on in the district and feedback has shown us that this is preferred format over many years, but times change and the format of informing our residents may well change in the near future, flyers and leaflets or electronic information will by its nature exclude a large proportion of our residents. - Cllr Michael Doody, leader of Warwick District Council.