Those interested in getting city news can now go straight to the source for updates.
As of Jan. 26, the City of St. Albert started offering its news releases for public subscribers, shifting the swinging door away from its corporate email system. The new web-based email distribution system now allows any individual or organization to sign up to receive these news releases directly to their email inboxes.
Cory Sinclair, the city’s manager of corporate communications and design, said the reason behind the change is to make sure everyone can access city updates.
“What we're always trying to do is look for new ways to share information with residents, and not everyone in the city uses social media,” said Sinclair.
“We've had really good experience with another city publication; it's a newsletter called City Highlights. We've had residents subscribe to that and anyone who's interested in receiving the publication can just enter their email and receive it. We thought we would try that same thing for news releases because, again, we have a media list that we're able to share that information with, but we thought it might be helpful for residents to get that same information should they desire.”
He added that some city staff members have also expressed an interest in getting news releases in much the same way media sources such as The Gazette receive them.
“This way, anyone with an email address can sign up and receive that news release directly in their inbox.”
Anyone can sign up by visiting stalbert.ca/news.
While the system is still in its first week of availability, there has not been much feedback on it, though Sinclair said there has been “an uptick” in people signing up.
“We're hoping that people find it valuable and if it does look like it's helpful, then that's just another indication that we need to continue to take steps like that to make information more available to residents.”
Mayor Cathy Heron said this step is also in the interest of furthering city council transparency.
“I think there's just this opportunity in front of us, too. When the city is doing something, we always do a news release, and then I try to share it on social media. [The Gazette] reports about it in the paper," said Heron.
"This is just a little bit of a more immediate and quicker way for residents to get that news if they want it. They can sign up to receive these press releases and that's another way to communicate. We’re trying every tool in the toolbox to talk to our residents,” she explained.
