Advertising and Communications Guidelines

 Fundamental principles

The fundamental principles governing the use of public funds for the planning, development and ongoing management of government advertising and paid communications are that:

• these guidelines operate from the understanding that advertising and communications have a clear role to assist in the efficient and effective pursuit of public policy goals
• government generally has the obligation to inform Victorians about their rights, duties, responsibilities and entitlements
• government also has the responsibility of ensuring equity, fairness, appropriateness and accountability in all of its communications with Victorians
• information should be based on accurate, verifiable facts, and
• facts presented must be relevant to the identified need for the communications.

Public sector advertising should be in accordance with the law and in line with the policies and programs of the incumbent government.

• All material must comply with the relevant broadcasting, media and electoral laws.
• Publications should not promote any politician or political candidate, including Ministers.
• Government material should not be used or reproduced by members of political parties in support of, or in opposition to, government activities without appropriate approval.
• No agency should publish or distribute pamphlets, brochures, leaflets or reports that advocate or criticise the election policies of any political party.

Avoiding party political advantage

Fulfilling its publicity and communications role may give an incumbent government a political advantage. However, government-funded publicity should never have the intent of providing party-political advantage.

Public funds should not be used for government communications where:

• government programs or initiatives intentionally promote a political party, a candidate for election or a member of parliament above the public interest
• official pronouncements and explanations of government policy refer to the name of a political party or to the government using the Premier’s name
• members of the government are named, depicted or otherwise promoted in a manner that a reasonable person would regard as excessive or gratuitous, or
• government websites and advertising are produced that link directly to the websites of political parties.

Dissemination of information may be perceived as being party-political because of any one of a number of factors, including:

• the content of the material – what is communicated
• the source of the material – who communicates it
• the reason for the campaign – why it is communicated
• the purpose of the campaign – what it is meant to do
• the choice of media – how, when and where it is communicated
• the timing, geographic and demographic targeting of the campaign
• the environment in which it is communicated, or
• the effect it is designed to have.

The information and material presented in a campaign should not:

• mention the party in government by name
• directly attack or scorn the views, policies or actions of others such as the policies and opinions of opposition parties or groups
• include party-political slogans or images
• be designed to influence public support for a political party, a candidate for election, a Minister or a Member of Parliament, or refer or link to the websites of politicians or political parties.

Advertising during caretaker period

Any material issued by agencies during the caretaker period must have a clear commercial or essential community information or safety purpose and be necessary at that particular time.

Appropriate use of government funds

Governments may legitimately use public funds for information programs or education campaigns to explain government policies, programs or services, and to inform members of the public of their obligations, rights and entitlements.

The subject matter should be directly related to the government’s responsibilities and be in response to an identified information need:

• to maximise compliance with the law
• to achieve awareness of a new or amended law
• to inform the public of new, existing or proposed government policies or policy revisions
• to ensure public safety, personal security or encourage responsible behaviour
• to assist in the preservation of order in the event of a crisis or emergency
• to promote awareness of rights, responsibilities, duties or entitlements
• to encourage usage of or familiarity with government products or services
• to report on performance in relation to government undertakings, and
• to encourage social cohesion, civic pride, community spirit, tolerance or assist in the achievement of a widely supported public policy outcome.

Publicity activities relating to Members of Parliament, their electorate or election campaigns must not be funded from agency resources.

Appropriate levels of funding and accountability
The method or medium of communication should not be manifestly excessive or extravagant in relation to the objective being pursued.

There should be a clear line of accountability, appropriate audit procedures or a suitable purchasing process for the communication process.

Departments and non-departmental entities should be held accountable for advertising or paid communications activities of their agency, and ensure that these guidelines are followed.

Maintenance of high standards

Government communications should comply with the highest standards of fairness, equity, probity and public responsibility, taking particular care to ensure:

• compliance with all relevant state and federal privacy, electoral, broadcasting and media laws throughout every stage of the development, production and dissemination of the message
• Victorian government advertisements in any electronic medium are clearly distinguishable from party-political messages by the addition of the following tag at the end of all commercials: “Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne”. The name of every person who speaks in the commercial must also be included
• facts, statistics, comparisons and other arguments are presented accurately and objectively to ensure that information can be substantiated and that the source of all data indicated or that a means for identifying the data source is provided within the communications
• facts, information and statistics should accurately reflect government policy and should not disparage other parties
• compliance with all relevant government purchasing policies
• sensitivity to cultural needs and issues when communicating with people from diverse ethnic or religious backgrounds
• awareness of the communication requirements of groups of people who possess a disability
• the maintenance of the highest standards of decency and good taste in the portrayal of gender and sexuality
• respect for all people, regardless of social standing, employment status, educational attainment, age, gender or any other attribute
• access by groups who might otherwise be disadvantaged or disenfranchised by means of location, language or economic factors
• communications are produced and disseminated by the most appropriate and environmentally responsible means taking into account the characteristics, location and size of the intended target audience
• all statements, claims and arguments included in the communication are able to be substantiated
• the target audience has a convenient means of contacting the originating government agency so that complaints, questions, comments or requests for further information may be dealt with promptly, and
• compliance with all quotas, targets and policies which may be set by government in respect of communications with groups such as culturally and linguistically diverse, rural and regional and other communities of interest or special need.

This was last updated June 2011.