Practical thinking on communications, trust, and the work of public organizations.
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Why your communications manager belongs at the leadership table
Why your communications manager belongs at the leadership table
Because reputation, risk, and relationships do not manage themselves and finding out the hard way is expensive.
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Communicate Taxes Honestly: Residents Can Handle It
Communicate Taxes Honestly: Residents Can Handle It
Property tax season is here, and most municipal communications miss the mark. Here’s what honest tax communication actually looks like, and why residents deserve better than a coffee comparison.
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If AI Breaks Trust, Nothing Else Matters
If AI Breaks Trust, Nothing Else Matters
AI is changing how communicators work, but the core responsibility has not changed: protect trust. For local governments, that means using AI carefully, transparently, and with humans firmly in charge.
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The real value of a communications strategy for small teams
The real value of a communications strategy for small teams
Why a strategy is not a luxury for small municipalities. It is the thing that makes the work possible.
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We teach new councillors about governance. We forget to teach them how to talk to each other.
We teach new councillors about governance. We forget to teach them how to talk to each other.
Council orientation covers a lot of ground. Respectful debate and meaningful public engagement are rarely on the agenda. They should be.
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Communication is not what you say. It is what people hear.
Communication is not what you say. It is what people hear.
The science of being understood, and why it matters more in public engagement than almost anywhere else.
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Designing for civility: how to reduce hostility at public meetings
Designing for civility: how to reduce hostility at public meetings
People do not usually show up angry. They show up afraid. Understanding that difference changes everything about how you design public engagement.
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Communications: the secret sauce in Council’s strategic planning
Communications: the secret sauce in Council’s strategic planning
Integrating communications and engagement into your council’s strategic planning process.
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We are not spin doctors
We are not spin doctors
What government communicators actually do — and why cutting that capacity during tough times is exactly the wrong call.
Julie Rogers Consulting 