supporting your community in local government communications

 

Introduction

A local government press officer is responsible for promoting a positive image of the council in the media and developing good media relations and coverage.  Press officers might also be known as media and communications officers.
Local government press officers are employed in all types of council.
  

Work Environment

Local government press officers are mainly office based, although there may be some external meetings.
Hours of work are usually the standard 37 hours per week, but there may be occasional out of hours work if a crisis situation arises.
  

Daily Activities

A local government press officer builds relationships with the local media to communicate the council’s role and vision, ensure fair and balanced representations of the council within the media and contribute to promoting the positive image and reputation of the council among residents, with Government and with local business.
Local government press officers’ duties may vary depending on the breadth of the job, but they may be involved in some or all of the following:

• researching, writing and publishing news releases in response to media enquiries;
• proactively pin-pointing future stories and ensuring they are covered by relevant local, regional, national and specialist media;
• working closely with a range of council departments to ensure important work is covered by the media;
• developing and implementing strategies for handling the media in crisis situations, such as writing holding statements, acting as a media spokesperson and ensuring that potentially damaging stories are dealt with sensitively and quickly;
• organising press briefings and conferences and photo calls;
• working closely with press and media officers in the council’s partner organisations;
• providing media training and advice for council officers and members who may represent the council and give interviews to the media.

 

Skills & Interests

Local government press officers need:

• excellent written communication and editorial skills,
• the ability to understand complex and varied information and interpret it clearly and simply for the benefit of others,
• good verbal communication and negotiation skills,
• the ability to remain calm under pressure,
• good time management and organisational skills,
• excellent marketing and PR skills.

Entry Requirements

Local government press officers would usually be required to have relevant qualifications, such as a degree in journalism, marketing or a PR related subject, or professional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, or the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
They might also be expected to have some previous experience working in a marketing and communications environment.

  

Estimated salary range

Local government press officers might expect to earn £22,500 - £30,000.  Those in more senior positions might earn in excess of £32,000.
Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

 

Future prospects & opportunities

There is a progression route from PR or communications assistant, to press officer or media and communications officer.  Further progression to senior communications officer or head of communications and marketing may be possible with relevant experience.  It may also be possible to move to other departments and specialise in media communications for particular areas of work, for example children’s services or environmental services.
Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Supporting Your Community.
Further Information & Services

Chartered Institute of Public Relations www.ipr.org.uk

Chartered Institute of Marketing www.cim.co.uk

National Council for the Training of Journalists www.nctj.com

You may find further information about this area of work in your local careers/school/Connexions library under O.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government press officer vacancies in the following places:

 

• LGjobs.com - our official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers - The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in - ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.