Trust Communications

audiences respond to defensiveness and euphemism far more negatively than they respond to an admission of fault. If people already know something went wrong, telling them it didn't, or that it wasn't that serious, doesn't reassure them. It irritates them.

Most people working in communications are trying to do the right thing. They want to steady the situation, reduce harm, and keep trust intact. But "strategic comms" can slide into defensiveness easily, and the response can end up sounding more like protecting credibility than listening.

People are very good at answering the question in front of them, and not nearly as good at telling you what they actually need. This is not a flaw in your residents or your service users. It is simply how human beings work.

This article explores seven of the most common communication mistakes local authorities make and offers practical solutions that communications teams can implement immediately.

I would like to stop hearing the exact same phrase dished out to every question a journalist asks from multiple interviewees.

For years, we’ve treated communications as a desk job. Writing statements. Monitoring channels. Managing approvals. Reacting to headlines. Producing content at speed, often at arm’s length from what we’re supposed to be explaining and off the back of SLT requests. It’s efficient because it’s measurable – you always know where they are. Increasingly, it’s a massive problem.

A case study into the loss of trust PFEW is facing and how they can fix their brand reputation.