A LOCAL authority chief executive has defended the way his organisation handles media enquiries, rebutting claims from a local councillor that there needs to be “less spin and more substance”.
Speaking as Scottish Borders Council revamps its communications department and responding to the claims made by councillor Nicholas Watson, Scottish Borders Council’s David Hume said: “The Council is committed to open communication and making information available. The changes introduced will help us achieve good standards of openness and access to information. I am very enthusiastic about the changes and hopefully everyone will see the benefits of this.”
The claims by Watson are being reported today in the Berwickshire News, as is Hume’s counter.
The newspaper quotes Watson – who leads the local, Borders Party – saying: “We need to allow journalists to talk to senior officers instead of filtering everything through a professional communications team and we need to avoid applying spin to public information in the form of ‘key messages’ to journalists.”
Says the Scottish Borders Council: “Tracey Graham has been appointed acting communications team manager to manage Scottish Borders Council’s corporate communications team on an interim basis while the service is reviewed.”
