EAST PEORIA, Ill. – Working relationships between government entities and news media was a topic of discussion for county clerks and recorders from across Illinois this week.
“Who Called the Press!” was a panel at the Illinois Association of County Clerks & Recorders Spring Conference, held at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria from Monday to Wednesday.
Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman tells WMBD’s “Craig Collins Show” part of establishing those relationships is understanding challenges on each side.
“There’s been so many changes with media in just the last 20 years that we need to, as government officials, understand what those changes are and be able to adapt to getting our messages delivered through those different marketplaces,” Ackerman said.
Ackerman says there’s also an “onus” on being as open and transparent as possible when providing information. He says that can eliminate gossip and conspiracy theories from spreading.
Knox County Clerk Scott Erickson says advancements in technology in recent years have changed relationships and made people talk to each other face to face less often.
He says that has caused a trickle down effect.
“Unfortunately, it’s now bled into the political side of things, where our government agencies aren’t talking to people they need to be talking to,” Erickson said. “The press and the media aren’t big bad evil people that are going to be throwing things at you and scaring you down the road. They’re folks that go out to dinner, just like you and I go out to dinner.”
Erickson says there can be some embracing of technology with getting information out, citing a text alert service that people can sign up for.
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