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In this issue
📸 "Can you send us all the photos?"
🧭 Three things you should know
🎬 Try this: think like a movie studio
🗳 Quick poll: who publishes first?
💬 One question I want you to answer
Oh, hi!
It usually starts with a simple request.
"Can you send us all the photos?"
"The team wants to post them on LinkedIn."
"Can you make us a video? And send us all the raw footage?"
On the surface, it feels harmless. Everyone wants to celebrate good work. But here's the question I wish more organizations would ask:
Who owns the story?
Because there's a big difference between sharing content and leading communications.
I recently talked with a communications director who was struggling with exactly this. Every successful event seemed to generate another wave of requests for photos, videos, and assets before her team had even finished editing them.
She admitted she had started saying "no" more often. Not because she didn't want people to celebrate the event. Because she wanted the communications team to do what they were hired to do.
Tell the story.
When she worried she was pushing back too much, I told her something I think every communications leader needs to hear:
You're not saying no. You're resetting expectations.
That's leadership.
They’ve hired a communications team for a reason. Trust them to communicate.
Communications isn't the department that hands out photos.
It's the department responsible for shaping the narrative, protecting the brand, and making sure your organization's best work gets the attention it deserves.
Three Things You Should Know
Raw photos aren't the story. They're the ingredients. The story is created through thoughtful editing, context, captions, accessibility, timing, and distribution.
When everyone publishes first, no one is leading. Twenty disconnected LinkedIn posts rarely create more impact than one coordinated campaign followed by employees and partners amplifying it.
Communications should lead. Departments should amplify. The strongest organizations create one clear narrative first, then invite everyone else to personalize and share it.
This part really matters: If everyone is acting as the communications department, then no one is actually doing communications. Your value isn't measured by how quickly you upload a Dropbox folder. It's measured by how effectively you tell the organization's story.
What you can do
Set expectations before your next event. Let teams know Communications will create and publish the primary story first.
Replace "No" with "No, but…" "We're putting together the full story and will publish it as soon as it's ready. We'd love your team to reshare it and add your own perspective once it's live."
Create a simple content release process. Decide who owns the assets, when they're released, and how departments can help amplify them. You can even give them suggested talking points for when they share.
Measure one coordinated campaign instead of trying to piece together success from dozens of disconnected posts.
🎬 Think of your communications team like a movie studio.
Imagine if every actor released random scenes before the official trailer came out.
The movie wouldn't build anticipation. It would create confusion.
Organizations do this all the time.
Departments post photos before captions are written. Videos get shared without context. Multiple versions of the same story compete for attention.
Instead, launch the story together. Then encourage everyone involved to amplify it with their own perspective.
That's how momentum builds.
The communications team shouldn't spend every day reacting to requests.
They should be proactively telling stories that build trust, strengthen your brand, and showcase the incredible work happening across your organization.
Hit reply and tell me: What's one internal expectation you've reset that ultimately made your communications stronger?
Talk soon,
Dana
About Dana
Former Emmy-winning television producer and Chief Digital Officer. Built Gilbert, AZ's national award-wining Office of Digital Government. Now helping city communicators tell stories that build trust.
Oh, hi! Stories Podcast: Spotify | Apple Podcasts
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