Why I am Seconding the Two
Motions on Transparency
Since I
became an ERYC Ward Councillor over two years ago I began to see why many
residents are disenfranchised from the workings of the Council. It is important
to remember that these are our customers.
Although most of the meetings are
open to the public they may not be able to attend because:
1. The cost and availability of the journey to
Beverley from a large geographic area
2. May have caring commitments and meetings
finishing well after schools close
3. Disability
4. They are
one of the Conservative Hard-workers who cannot get time off work
5. Students
– who we must engage with but attend school, college or University
Although
the Council does publish Minutes of meetings they do not have any indication of
the discussion held just a resolution.
Questions asked in Full Council are minuted with x or y responded but
not with what they responded. So how can the Council Tax payer have any idea of
what really happens? We could film it
and put the film on the ERYC website with the minutes.
http://www.local.gov.uk/socialmedia
This is the recommendation from the Local Government
Association. ERYC should buy into this
as other Councils have.
Social media
The
LGA is committed to supporting local government colleagues to help realise the
full potential of social media. We believe that, used correctly, social media
is a powerful tool helping to drive cultural, political, economic and social
engagement. It is also a key communications tool for local authorities and
highlights their commitment to openness and transparency.
Social Media Friendly
The LGA developed this Social Media Friendly Mark for councils to
display on their documents such as meeting papers, websites and any other
relevant material. It helps to demonstrate their commitment to allowing the use
of social media. It will also enable councils to make it clear that in
meetings, social media channels such as twitter can be used.
We are keen to demonstrate through practical examples from the
sector that using social media in a coordinated and sensible way, as part of a
strategic approach to communications, can help enhance the reputation of local
government, improve engagement with different elements of the community and
drive efficiency. Therefore we would encourage as many local authorities as
possible to use the mark as a clear expression of their commitment to the use
of social media.
How it
happened for Parliament:
|
Broadcasting Parliament
|
|
The idea of broadcasting the proceedings of
Parliament was first suggested by the BBC in the 1920s but permission was
refused.
Pressure for proceedings to be broadcast grew in
the 1960s and led to two experimental periods in 1968 and 1975.
Permanent radio coverage was eventually granted
in 1978 although cameras were still not allowed into the House on a permanent
basis.
In November 1984, cameras were installed in the
Lords on an experimental basis and have remained ever since.
Resistance in the Commons continued until a close
vote in 1988 when cameras were allowed into the lower Chamber, also for a
trial period.
The experiment began in November 1989 for a
period of 18 months and permanent access was granted in 1990.
Tight rules apply to the use of footage of
parliamentary proceedings and filming in other parts of the Palace is very
strictly controlled.
|
|
It should
be noted that Hansard is a word by word record of what is said – again far more
than our residents get.
I am aware
that there are some negatives involved in the filming of meetings but with the
right will and safeguards in place they can be overcome.
Link to Full Council agenda with the Labour Group Motions on
Transparency:
http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/council/committees/the-council/council-meetings/ scroll
down to Agendas 9th October 2013
Link to Guidance for local people re meetings:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207528/Your_councils_cabinet_-_going_to_its_meetings_seeing_how_it_works.pdf
Other Links and some Guidance
Councils should allow public meetings to be reported via social media
and recorded on film, guidance published by the secretary of state for
communities and local government, Eric Pickles, states.
The guidance aims to set out the rights of the
public - including, as specified in the overall announcement, "journalists
and bloggers" - to access public council meetings and document the
proceedings. This is based on The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements)
(Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations, which applied from
September last year.
"The new guidance explicitly states that councillors and council officers
can be filmed at council meetings, and corrects misconceptions that the Data
Protection Act somehow prohibits this", the department for communities and
local government said in a release. The 14-page guide "also outlines
the assorted rights that taxpayers have to access council papers and
documents".
According to the guidance, members of the council "should expect to be
held to account for their comments and votes in such meetings", and should
also "provide reasonable facilities for any member of the public to report
on meetings".
The guide adds that the Data Protection Act should not be used as a reason to
"prohibit such overt filming of public meetings", although
"councils may reasonably ask for the filming to be undertaken in such a
way that it is not disruptive or distracting to the good order and conduct of
the meeting".
"As a courtesy, attendees should be informed at the start of the meeting
that it is being filmed; we recommend that those wanting to film liaise with
council staff before the start of the meeting.
"The council should consider adopting a policy on the filming of members
of the public speaking at a meeting, such as allowing those who actively object
to being filmed not to be filmed, without undermining the broader transparency
of the meeting."
Social media reporting
As well as establishing the fact that councils should allow public meetings to
be filmed, the guidance also refers to social media coverage, adding that:
"bloggers, tweeters, Facebook and YouTube users, and individuals with
their own website, should be able to report meetings."
"You should ask your council for details of the facilities they are
providing for citizen journalists."
While the regulations apply only to courts in England, Pickles also makes a
point to call specifically on the Welsh authorities to offer "the same
rights as those in England now have".
In January, Journalism.co.uk reported on the difficulties local media and bloggers had reported
when trying to gain permission to tweet from a Wrexham County Borough Council
meeting. The Daily Post launched a Right to Tweet campaign in response.
At the time the north Wales council said "proceedings at meetings may not
be photographed, videoed, sound recorded or transmitted in any way outside the
meeting without prior permission of the chair", as set out in its
constitution. However, the council last month agreed a change to this part of
its constitution "to allow the use of social media in its meetings".
The section now states that "use of text based social media such as
Twitter, Facebook etc., and SMS text messaging by members who are not appointed
to the body whose meeting they are attending, the press and the public is
permitted during meetings provided that this does not cause a nuisance or
annoyance to others attending the meeting".
The council also added in a statement today that it "has also been
allocated some funding to assist with the development of webcasting council
meetings and the council is actively considering all its options to make best
use of this funding".
Local media response
Along with the release of today's guidance, Pickles added in a statement:
"I want to stand up for the rights of journalists and taxpayers to
scrutinise and challenge decisions of the state. Data protection rules or
health and safety should not be used to suppress reporting or a healthy dose of
criticism.
"Modern technology has created a new cadre of bloggers and hyperlocal
journalists, and councils should open their digital doors and not cling to
analogue interpretations of council rules.
"Councillors shouldn’t be shy about the public seeing the good work they
do in championing local communities and local interests".
There is no excuse now for councils
to ban people from reporting council meetings, whether it's via Twitter,
liveblogs, or even filming and recording, which have been contentious issues
before in some areas of the countryDaniel Ionescu, the
Lincolnite
Reflecting on the latest direction from Pickles, managing editor of hyperlocal
site The Lincolnite, Daniel Ionescu, said "this is welcomed news".
"There is no excuse now for councils to ban people from reporting council
meetings, whether it's via Twitter, liveblogs, or even filming and recording,
which have been contentious issues before in some areas of the country,"
he said.
"Some local authorities still have some work to do in making the documents
available well in advance of the meetings, but this is a great step towards a
more open local government.
"While here in Lincolnshire councils have been open to the modern ways of
reporting, this is welcomed news for journalists at local papers across the
country, as well for independent new media publications and hyperlocal
bloggers."
Digital publishing director for Trinity Mirror, regionals, David Higgerson,
added that the guidance published today acts as "more than a
clarification".
Until today local authorities had "too much wiggle room". The new
guidance has "put the ball clearly in the court of local authorities to
make it possible for people to film".
He added that there remain "many grey areas within the regulations",
such as the procedure if several people want to film a meeting. But he added
that the reiteration of the rules and council's responsibilities by Pickles
"is a really good sign".
He also highlighted the fact there are councils which "are very
proactive" when it comes to transparency and accountability, citing the
example of Birmingham Council, which offers a livestream of its meetings.
Head of online editorial development at Newsquest Digital Media Nigel Vincent
also welcomed the guidance.
"No longer will councils be able to use spurious justifications to prevent
local journalists from filming their meetings," he said.
"While not every episode from the chamber will be a ratings winner, the
fact we are now free to film the big decisions and provide our audiences with
real-time footage of their elected representatives in action is frankly
overdue.
"There’s no hiding behind closed doors anymore – could be an eye-opener
for some!"
We know short, relevant video clips
are hugely engaging when embedded in articles as are live streams, and this is
only going to add to people's perception and understanding of their local
authority's workAlison Gow, the Daily Post
Editor of the Daily Post in north Wales Alison Gow
said the latest information on what is expected of councils, is "good news
for England's mainstream press and hyperlocals".
"I hope we see something similar being introduced in Wales. Councils need
and want more people engaged in local democracy, and I see this move as
mutually beneficial – allowing different and more detailed ways of telling a
story, and putting the audience 'in the room'.
"We know short, relevant video clips are hugely engaging when embedded in
articles as are live streams, and this is only going to add to people's
perception and understanding of their local authority's work.
"I'd hope Assembly Members and councillors will be asking when this is
coming to Wales. The success of the Daily Post's 'right to tweet' campaign
shows that authorities are open to change. We managed to get more people and
authorities talking and thinking about the importance of reporters covering
meetings live, and that led to agreements being reached.
"Allowing filming is the next step on the road."
Damian Radcliffe, who is an honorary research fellow at Cardiff School of
Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, and also produced a report on the state of
hyperlocal media in the UK for NESTA last year, questioned how
much of an impact today's development will have in reality.
"This move by CLG will be welcomed by citizens and hyperlocal publishers
alike, but to some extent we've heard it all before," he said.
"Back in 2011 Eric Pickles called on councils to let hyperlocal bloggers
tweet as well as film council proceedings and local government minister Bob
Neill wrote to all councils encouraging them to offer the same level of access
as traditional media.
"In many cases this clearly hasn't happened, just as we continue to see
many council publications flagrantly breaching the government's publicity code;
despite frequent promises to crack down on town hall Pravdas.
"CLG needs to show some teeth and enforce their guidelines, otherwise the
full democratic potential of hyperlocal media will continue to go
unrealised."
Mr Pickles said:
“I want to stand up for the rights of
journalists and taxpayers to scrutinise and challenge decisions of the state.
Data protection rules or health and safety should not be used to suppress
reporting or a healthy dose of criticism.
“Modern technology has created a new
cadre of bloggers and hyper-local journalists, and councils should open their
digital doors and not cling to analogue interpretations of council rules.
“Councillors
shouldn’t be shy about the public seeing the good work they do in championing
local communities and local interests.
Ray Duffill, Editor of
HU12 Online recently
contacted East Riding Council to ask about the use of
social media by the public at its meetings.
After attending scrutiny
subcommittees in the past there have always been announcements from the Chair
about not using mobile phones, recording equipment, cameras, etc.
As technology marches
forward and we now have services like Twitter, Facebook, etc, which make the
public sharing of comments, discussions and decisions almost instantaneous,
then is the East Riding Council going to investigate how it can embrace
socialmedia and amend its guidelines to allow the use of smart phones and
tablets by the public at its meetings?
If members of the public
want to follow a debate at a meeting, they currently have to attend it, or get
information on the decisions after the event from the minutes.
If the Council encouraged
the responsible use of social media, then meetings could be covered live on
Twitter feeds and other social media channels. This would be of benefit to the
public, who could follow the feeds, also journalists could comment live on what
they are witnessing.
This is not broadcasting
the meeting directly, but rather members of the public and journalists
commentary on the proceedings.
Are these issues actively
being considered by the Council to aid community engagement with the Council
and its proceedings?
Diane Hindhaugh, Acting
Democratic Services Manager, replied promptly:
“I can confirm that the
Council is currently looking at the use of electronic devices in its meetings.
As you rightly state, it is vital that the Council moves forward with the
changing times and therefore a review is being undertaken.
Currently, as the
Constitution states, we do not allow the use of electronic devices, but it is
not possible just to reverse this provision without fully considering all the
possible implications of doing so, due to the nature of some of our meetings
and the decision making process required (planning and licensing matters for
instance). There is also the requirement for the Council to abide by the Access
to Information provisions as set out in the Local Government Act 1972.
Notwithstanding these issues
though, I hope that you are reassured that the answer to your question is yes,
the Council is actively considering this matter with a view to making any
changes to the Constitution that it feels necessary.”
http://www.hu12online.net/debate/new-rights-for-journalists-and-bloggers-to-film-report-and-tweet-council-meetings/
