Plainfield's press release 'problem'

As I entered last night's non-forum 'forum' on redevelopment, Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs was finishing making a point that the blogs have brought up: Press releases from the City.

She complained that it is untrue that her Administration does not file press releases with the media, claiming that many, many have been filed but we don't always see the stories.

I share her pain.

My guess is that 75% of the releases I ever filed never generated a story in the Ledger or Courier. It's not ALL the newspapers' fault. After all, they do have space limitations, and some standards about what is considered 'newsworthy'. Releases were often thought of as self-serving puffery by politicians -- say it isn't so!! And sometimes they found the item newsworthy but didn't have enough staff to cover all that was happening on that given day.

It goes with the turf.

What the County does is post ALL its press releases on its website, as I have pointed out in these pages before.

Hopefully the revived Plainfield website will do the same when it comes online.

Meantime, I am more than happy to put any and all press releases of the City up on the blog, exactly as received, with no comment or editorializing, as a public service.

All Her Honor has to do is tell her communications team to email the items to me (she has my email address).

Consider it part of being a good citizen.

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Previous Plainfield Today comment on this Administration's communications issues:

• January 4, 2007: "City website a bee in amber?"
• May 10, 2007: "Redevelopment victims challenge Administration"
• June 26, 2007: "Poor publicity effort endangers development forum"

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
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