SOO - SDTX Press Secretary.pdf

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

PRESS SECRETARY

Background

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas (USAO- SDTX) serves one of the Nation’s largest federal law enforcement and judicial districts, covering approximately 10 million people across 43 counties and 44,000 square miles. The Office is headquartered in Houston and operates branch offices in Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas leads USAO-SDTX and is the District’s chief federal law enforcement officer and the lawyer representing the United States Government. His priorities are as follows:

• Enhance public safety: reduce the violence that flows from gangs, recidivists, drug and human traffickers, and those with no respect for human life.

• Destroy transnational criminal and foreign terrorist organizations: hunt down cartels and other criminal enterprises that deal in drugs, women and children, weapons, and illegal aliens, and smoke out their networks of bosses, money launderers, stash houses, suppliers, and allies.

• Defend American sovereignty: secure our border and help deport and punish illegal aliens, whose very existence on American soil is criminal; protect the integrity of our elections; guard our institutions against foreign interference.

• Eradicate public corruption: hold accountable those in power who betray public trust through bribery, procurement or grant fraud, election crimes, and abuse of office.

• Protect the American taxpayer against fraud: ensure that taxpayer dollars are used only for their lawful intended purpose by prosecuting those who fraudulently steal funds or rig systems related to federal benefits, government contracts, natural disasters, and immigration.

The Office fulfills these priorities dozens of times each day through its investigative, law enforcement, litigation, and prosecutorial work. To effectively communicate those efforts and accomplishments to the public—and thereby strengthen public confidence in the Office’s federal law enforcement mission and deter future criminal conduct—the Office seeks professional press secretary services.

Position Sought

USAO-SDTX seeks to contract with an individual or public relations firm to provide professional press secretary and strategic media relations services. The individual designated to perform these services will be referred to throughout this Statement of Objectives as the Press Secretary.

The objective of these services is to develop and execute a proactive, professional, and effective media strategy that communicates the Office’s law enforcement activities, priorities, cases, and accomplishments to the public through national, state, and local media.

Place of Performance

The Press Secretary may perform services remotely or from USAO-SDTX office space, as determined in consultation with the U.S. Attorney and the USAO-SDTX Communications Director.

The Press Secretary must be available to attend in-person meetings, press events, press conferences, and other events when the nature of the assignment requires physical presence.

Because significant law enforcement and prosecutorial developments may occur on short notice, the Press Secretary should be reasonably available to respond to time-sensitive assignments and breaking news events

Duties and Responsibilities

The Press Secretary’s duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Managing and developing relationships with media contacts across the six principal media markets serving the Southern District of Texas: Houston, San Antonio, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen.

• Preparing the U.S. Attorney for press engagements and public statements, including short quotes, talking points, interview preparation, briefing materials, and related communications.

• Arranging and coordinating interviews with television, radio, print, digital, and other news media outlets.

• Managing incoming press inquiries and coordinating initial information-gathering with the appropriate Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other USAO-SDTX personnel.

• Planning, coordinating, and executing major press events, including press conferences, media availabilities, and other public-facing events.

• Reviewing press releases and other public-facing communications materials before publication and providing recommendations regarding content, presentation, timing, and media strategy.

• Attending key meetings, as appropriate, to identify and evaluate the media and public-relations value of the Office’s investigative, law enforcement, litigation, and prosecution efforts.

• Monitoring significant national, state, and local news developments and advising the U.S. Attorney regarding relevant opportunities for the Office to engage in those matters.

• Developing proactive media strategies to maximize appropriate public awareness of significant USAO-SDTX investigations, prosecutions, enforcement actions, litigation, and other accomplishments.

• Identifying opportunities to highlight the work of USAO-SDTX personnel, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys, law enforcement partners, and other federal agencies, where appropriate.

• Advising the U.S. Attorney and Communications Director on media strategy, message development, interview opportunities, emerging news cycles, and reputational issues affecting the Office.

• Maintaining timely and professional communications with members of the media and serving as a primary point of contact for media inquiries, subject to applicable Department of Justice policies and USAO-SDTX procedures.

• Coordinating, as appropriate, with Department of Justice personnel and other federal, state, and local law enforcement communications personnel on matters involving joint investigations, prosecutions, enforcement actions, and public announcements.

Reporting and Coordination

The Press Secretary will report to the USAO-SDTX Communications Director and will work closely and continuously with the U.S. Attorney.

Because the Press Secretary will support the U.S. Attorney directly on matters involving significant public interest, the Press Secretary should maintain frequent communication with the U.S. Attorney and be prepared to respond promptly to time-sensitive media and communications matters.

All services shall be performed in accordance with applicable Department of Justice policies, USAO-SDTX policies and procedures, federal law, and any applicable confidentiality and information-handling requirements.

Desired Outcomes

Through the services provided under this Statement of Objectives, USAO-SDTX seeks to:

1. Increase public awareness and understanding of the Office’s federal law enforcement mission, priorities, investigations, prosecutions, and accomplishments through effective engagement with national, state, and local news media.

2. Develop and maintain strong, professional relationships with members of the news media throughout the Southern District of Texas and with relevant national and state media outlets, establishing USAO-SDTX as a trusted, responsive, and authoritative source of information concerning federal law enforcement matters.

3. Increase proactive media coverage of significant USAO-SDTX accomplishments and initiatives, ensuring that important cases, investigations, enforcement actions, and public safety efforts receive appropriate and timely public attention.

4. Ensure rapid, accurate, and coordinated responses to media inquiries and breaking news, enabling the Office to communicate effectively during significant law enforcement events, major prosecutions, emergencies, and other matters of substantial public interest.

5. Strengthen and consistently communicate the U.S. Attorney’s priorities and message, ensuring that the Office’s public communications clearly and effectively explain how its work advances public safety, protects the public, and enforces federal law.

6. Maximize the media impact of significant cases, investigations, prosecutions, and enforcement actions through strategic planning of announcements, interviews, press conferences, media availabilities, and other opportunities for public engagement.

7. Enhance public confidence in USAO-SDTX and its federal law enforcement mission by communicating the Office’s work in a professional, transparent, accessible, and compelling manner.

8. Establish measurable communications performance indicators that allow USAO-SDTX to evaluate the effectiveness of its media relations efforts, including media placements, quality and reach of coverage, responsiveness to media inquiries, proactive story generation, interview opportunities, and other appropriate measures.

9. Coordinate effectively with the Digital Content Manager and other communications personnel so that earned media, digital content, public statements, and major announcements reinforce one another and present a consistent public message.

10. Build a durable media-relations infrastructure for USAO-SDTX, including organized media contacts, market knowledge, recurring media relationships, communications practices, and institutional knowledge that can continue to benefit the Office over time.