Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recently announced the appointment of Keith Whitney as the city of Atlanta’s first-ever chief content officer, according to a press release. The senior-level position will focus on curating and sharing new content across a wide range of platforms. The newly created role is part of a new effort to improve communications with Atlanta residents and highlight the city’s efforts to achieve the Mayor’s One Atlanta vision.
“An important tenant in the One Atlanta vision is ‘residents who are equipped for success.’ Key to achieving that goal is ensuring that our residents are knowledgeable of the programs and initiatives that are developed on their behalves every day throughout the City.” said Mayor Bottoms. “The Chief Content Officer will be responsible for delivering real-time updates to our constituents in a manner that is accessible and relatable so that all of Atlanta’s stakeholders can play a more informed and engaged role in building a city that works for everyone.”
The role of Chief Content Officer is becoming an increasingly important communications function in both the private and public sectors, with several Fortune 500 companies including Capital One, Goldman Sachs, J. Crew, Microsoft and PepsiCo leading the way in this innovative organizational structure, according to the release. Most recently, the City of Detroit became the first U.S. City to appoint a chief storyteller, as its leadership prioritized the development of a new narrative for the historic city.
“Atlanta is a city full of stories, and we should not have to rely on the news media alone to tell them,” said Whitney. “We can – and we will – break our own news. As the new Chief Content Officer, I will make sure we disseminate those stories directly to our residents, across all of our platforms, with unprecedented speed, depth and accuracy. We have a team of award-winning journalists on staff with decades of experience and credibility. Mayor Bottoms, a former journalist herself, understands the importance of keeping the residents of our city informed.”
As Keith transitions into the Chief Content Officer role, Kelly S. Beaty will serve as interim Communications Director.
Both positions are effective immediately.
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