The action on March 5 by local Rotary Club president Alexandra Weisensale to summarily and discourteously eject NewsLanc reporter Matt Henderson who had been routinely covering speakers at Rotary meetings appears inconsistent with the spirit and arguably the letter of the Rotary International Regulations.
NewsLanc inquired of Rotary International: “Are Rotary meetings held in secret or is media coverage permitted?”
The response received on March 11 was:
“Responsibility of the Rotary Club…
Each club is expected to
1) Maintain positive news media relations…
5) Cultivate the understanding of nongovernmental organizations, community leaders, young people, and other special interest groups who should be aware of Rotary, its mission, scope, programs, and activities…
7) Obtain full representation of the news media in its membership …
Rotary and News Media Relationships
Clubs and governors are urged to undertake appropriate action to improve relationships between Rotary and the news media. …
1) Invite news media personnel to speak to clubs on the role of the media…
2) Hold training sessions, discussion groups, or forums on public and media relations outreach for Rotarians, and invite media personnel as speakers or panelists…
3) Create club-based professional development opportunities for young journalists, and ask awardees for their feedback.
5) Increase efforts to bring news media representatives into club membership.
RI Public Relations Award
The RI Public Relations Award recognizes clubs and districts that demonstrate outstanding media coverage of Rotary activities in their areas and have implemented programs that demonstrably improve the image of Rotary in their communities.”
