How Local Governments Can Use a Multi-Channel Approach to Get Trusted News to Communities

If you want to know what’s happening in a local community today, you probably don’t start by visiting the council website. You’re more likely to see it in a local Facebook group, hear about it from a neighbour, spot a video on YouTube, get a message through a WhatsApp group, or come across a story shared by someone you already follow. 

The latest Ofcom research shows just how important these channels have become. Its 2026 News Consumption Survey highlights the single most-used individual source for local news in the UK is now “local groups or accounts in social media” (36%), ahead of the BBC website or app (33%) and regional TV bulletins (30%). Social media and daily conversations have now overtaken television for local news altogether. 

It’s no longer enough to publish the right information on the websites and wait for residents to find it. If public sector teams want to keep communities informed, build trust and make sure accurate information is delivered, they need to be present in the places where those conversations are already happening. 

That’s where a multi-channel approach comes in.

By showing up consistently across the channels residents already use, councils can ensure vital information is easier to find, easier to understand, and more likely to reach the people who need it most. Because being where your residents are isn’t just good communications, it’s how you build trust.

Being present across multiple channels sounds easy, but for local government communications teams, it can be difficult to balance. Residents expect timely updates across the platform they use everyday, while communications teams are managing multiple accounts, competing priorities and a constant flow of information.

A message that works well on Facebook may not have the same impact on X, simply copying and pasting the same post across every platform isn’t enough.

A multi-channel approach means adapting how information is shared to suit the channel. The audience and the situation. More importantly it means making sure those channels work together to give residents a consistent source of trusted information.

In practice, that means:

• Publishing consistently across the platforms the community is already using.
• Adapting the message, not just the channel: a flood warning on X needs different framing to a neighbourhood update on Nextdoor. Tailoring your tone and format to reach specific demographics ensures your message actually resonates with the community—for practical tips on gathering resident insights, check out Orlo’s guide on campaign planning and audience insight.
• Listening as well as broadcasting so you can deal with the problem before it becomes a crisis. As shown in Orlo’s guide on building trust using social media, proactively addressing misinformation before it spreads is critical to reassure public confidence.
• Replying, not just posting, so residents get a genuine two-way channel.
• Keeping information consistent across every official account.

The more channels a council uses, the more difficult it becomes to keep track of everything happening across them.

Communications teams need to know what has been published, where it has been shared, what residents are saying about it and whether people are actually finding the information they need. When these activities are managed separately across different platforms, it can be time consuming. Important conversations can be missed, updates can be difficult to track and teams may struggle to see which messages are having an impact.

This is where the Orlo platform comes in.

Rather than asking communications teams to manage each channel separately, Orlo brings social media management, monitoring and measurement together in one place. This can make it easier for teams to plan and publish information, keep track of resident conversations and understand how people are responding to their communications from Orlo’s Trust Indicator.

The value isn’t simply being able to publish to more channels. It’s having greater visibility of what is happening across those channels, so teams can make more informed decisions about what information residents need.

According to Ofcom’s News Consumption in the UK 2026 report, 95% of UK adults consume local news, with 81% using an online channel such as social media to find local information. For local authorities adopting a multi-channel approach means moving beyond simply publishing information and waiting for residents to find it. Communication becomes an ongoing process of listening, responding, informing and learning.

Residents are already asking questions, raising concerns and sharing information across social media and community platforms. But when those conversations are spread across different platforms, keeping track of them can be difficult.

Therefore, a council might want to publish an update about the problem as the conversation doesn’t stop until the post goes live. If those questions aren’t seen or answered, gaps in information can quickly emerge. Being able to listen and respond across channels becomes just as important as publishing in the first place. It gives communications teams a clearer understanding of what residents need from them, while giving residents an opportunity to get clarification directly from a trusted source.

Ultimately, a multi-channel approach isn’t about giving residents more information. It’s about making sure the right information reaches the right people, through the channels they already use, at the time they need it.

• 36% of UK adults now use local social media groups or accounts for local news, making social media the single most-used individual source for local information.
• 95% of UK adults consume local news, with 81% using digital channels, highlighting the need for councils to communicate beyond their own websites.
• A multi-channel approach means adapting content for each platform, rather than simply copying and pasting the same message across Facebook, X, Nextdoor and other channels.
• Listening and responding are just as important as publishing,: councils need to monitor conversations, answer questions and address misinformation to build trust and provide residents with a reliable source of information.
• Leicestershire County Council generated 1300+ link clicks during Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran, including 500+ visits to its flood-reporting page, showing how coordinated multi-channel communications can drive residents to take action.