New City of Dallas Media Plan Is All About Message Control

By Stephen Young Wed., Dec. 3 2014 at 1:08 PM

Taking out the middle man.

Sana Syed had a baptism by fire. Just after she took the city of Dallas' public information officer job, Thomas Eric Duncan was diagnosed with Ebola. Syed did an admirable job filtering and distributing the torrent of information that would come out over the succeeding weeks.

She would also show that she knew how to spot and promote a story that would be a winner for the city, however harrowing the circumstances. Bentley -- the King Charles spaniel who belongs to Nina Pham, one of the Texas Health Presbyterian nurses to get Ebola after treating Duncan -- quickly became the face and focus of many of Syed's tweets and press releases. The end of the dog's monitoring for Ebola and his reuniting with Pham was the unofficial end of Ebola in Dallas, however absurd the press conference that accompanied it was.

Wednesday, Syed outlined how she hopes to keep the positive news flowing with a new city news website, improved use of social media and something new called "The Communications and Policy Institute."

The website is going to be similar in concept to DISD's The Hub and the Dallas Police Department's DPD Beat, basically a place for the city to spin out stories that are reasonably interesting and not damaging to its messaging.

The policy institute promises to be "[t]he country's first center for education and research
focused on communications and urban policy, specifically related to Dallas" and would partner with universities and places like the George W. Bush library and the Poynter Institute using instruction and studio space the city intends to build at the central library.

The goals of all of this are a 50 percent increase in social media reach, 25 videos and articles a month and between five and 10 positive Dallas stories on traditional media each month.

The obvious concerns with this kind of setup were expressed by council member Philip Kingston.

"[A government entity creating news content] always raises the specter of propaganda," he said.

City Manager A.C. Gonzalez, who despite never having been elected is the most powerful person in Dallas city government, said he and his office recognized that issue.

"We understand the challenge as to being informative rather than engaging in advocacy," he said.

Gonzalez backed up his claim by describing city manager's office's struggle to make sure the public understood city bond packages without urging them to support those packages.

City of Dallas Communication Plan

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greenvillite

Hehe...she was probably hired to deal with what certain council members say...you know asking the tough questions and disiminating accurate information. "We can't allow that to continue. Look how much trouble we got into when we left Angela Hunt unchecked!'

big_oj

I notice Channels 95, 96, and 99 that were once owned by Dallas iMedia, are now owned by the city in which the City Access Channel is stream.

It looks like that it's a plan in the works for a network of channels. I would also suggested as they have reached out to DART for perhaps airing their Board Meetings, and their in Motion Show they used to air.

As well, how about a show with nothing but pictures of Dogs and Cats from Animal Services to adopt. Everyone loves Dogs and Cats Right?

Myrna.Minkoff-Katz topcommenter

BREAKING NEWS: Big Kitty will announce her plans to run for Mayor of the great city of Dallas tomorrow.

ThePosterFormerlyKnownasPaul topcommenter

Stephen, this is exactly the job of any PIO or PA person, to disseminate information that creates a positive response by people outside of that organization.

I have to work with PA personnel all the time. It truly is a matter of how and when you present information that affects how your organization is perceived.

holmantx topcommenter

the media has given her a code name - Baghdad Bob

Catbird

Since the demise of the Times Herald, The Dallas Observer has been the primary message control agent in Dallas.

RTGolden1 topcommenter

New Media Plan is about Message Control.

Makes sense. Why else would you formulate a media plan if not to control the message? You don't need a media plan, or even the media, to broadcast the unvarnished truth, you just need an outlet. All of 'media' is about controlling the message.

Interesting article though.

"The goals of all of this are a 50 percent increase in social media reach, 25 videos and articles a month and between five and 10 positive Dallas stories on traditional media each month."

Is Myrna going to let go her weeks-old dream of copy editing the Observer in order to snatch one of these newly created journo/editorial jobs at the City?

CrackerDaddy

Dallas gets it's very own Ministry of Truth?

Myrna.Minkoff-Katz topcommenter

Somebody reported that the Phelps has been hired on as Community Liaison in charge of dispelling rumors and mitigating panic.

schermbeck

So....we're going to see a lot more stories about Rawling's and Gonzalez' dogs?

holmantx topcommenter

Looks like a winner to me. She's brought the AP Style Book I see:

challenge

struggle

connect

proactive

Enhance

Ecosystem (WTF?)

Social media

Values

Transparency

open, accountable and honest (trifecta)

Timeliness

All A.C.ESS (ouch!)

Roundtable Discussions

Partners

she forgot 'nurture'. Send her over to the DMN Ed Board for remedial approved lingo-o-day with a coupple of weekend follow-ups, then she'll do.

ScottsMerkin topcommenter

@Myrna.Minkoff-Katz Breaking News: BIg kitty got distracted by catnip ball and forgot to show up to the announcement

Myrna.Minkoff-Katz topcommenter

@RTGolden1 Myrna was offered the job but decided to assist Big Kitty in her possible campaign for Mayor. Big Kitty is an FDR Super Liberal with grandiose ideas for the elimination of poverty and racism in the city of Dallas.

Myrna.Minkoff-Katz topcommenter

.... oh, and also distributing gas masks and respirators to the public.

ColonelAngus

@holmantx What about Solutions? We must have Solutions!

ScottsMerkin topcommenter

@Myrna.Minkoff-Katz Im confused, whats wrong with being prepared? I mean, I realize there are kooks out there, I personally think that show about preppers was over the top, but if someone has a mask and respirator around, so what?