THE government has caused concerns among councils by several recent pronouncements.
Cuts, more cuts, changes in ground rules ....
One recent letter from Bob Neill, the Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has added a few ripples to the pool of consternation. He wants to encourage bloggers, tweeters and assorted amateur cameramen to report and record what councillors are doing, as they are doing it, and for the future stars of screen to welcome this with open arms.
Try raising your camera in Medway Council!
Come to that, produce a mobile phone, aim its camera anywhere close to a seat of power, and you are likely to attract the Evil Eye from either side of every councillor's face as the officers descend on you from all corners of the chamber.
It's not unique to Medway. Many are far worse. Every council is worried that the occasional slip, sneer or outright bit of abuse will become worldwide news. Yet Mr Neill makes a convincing argument for openness.
"It is essential to a healthy democracy that citizens everywhere are able to feel that their council welcomes them to observe their local decision-making and through modern media tools keep others informed as to what their council is doing.
"The mainstream media also needs to be free to provide stronger local accountability by being able to film and record in meetings without obstruction," he wrote to council leaders and monitoring officers.
"Council meetings have long been open to interested members of the public and recognised journalists, and with the growth of online film, social media and hyper-local online news they should equally be open to Citizen Journalists and filming by mainstream media.
"Bloggers, tweeters, residents with their own websites and users of Facebook and YouTube are increasingly a part of the modern world, blurring the lines between professional journalists and the public."
He added: "... I want to encourage all councils to take a welcoming approach to those who want to bring local news stories to a wider audience."
I asked the chairman of Allhallows Parish Council, Cllr Yvonne Forrest, last night whether her council would open up in the way that Mr Neill suggests. After all, Allhallows has not been having the easiest of existences with recorders and writers - professional or amateur.
Mr Neill's letter came a fortnight after her council insisted that only the clerk could record conversations, scenes and actions.
It is a great pity.
Had the council not barred the cameras, tape recorders, DVDs, blogs et al it would have made for the sort of entertainment that few (other than seasoned journalists) get to see, and which stretch the credence of the written word.
She considered the question.
"It would need a change to our Standing Orders," she said. And no, there were no plans for such a discussion.
There is hope for the peninsula's eager emailers, Tweets and Blog-ettes: Cllr Mark Skudder asked for it to be discussed at the next meeting of the council. The spoken request will not be enough, however. He has to use modern communication methods (an email) for the request to be considered.
Dibley-on-Sea would rival anything Dawn French might have conceived.
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