SALISBURY — The city of Salisbury was among 22 North Carolina local governments to earn recognition in the 10th North Carolina City & County Communicators’ Excellence in Communications Awards.

The city received a first-place award for its “Rumor Control Page,” designed to dispel rumors heard around the city after an officer-involved shooting by a member of the Salisbury Special Response Team. The Rumor Control web page is designed to counter inflammatory, false information being spread throughout the community.

“We are more than thrilled to be recognized by our peers for our hard work, particularly the type of work we do during difficult situations,” said Communications Director Linda McElroy.

The Excellence in Communications Awards were presented April 6 at the NC3C’s annual spring conference in Charlotte. More than 133 entries were received in categories including TV & video, communication technology, special events, printed publications, citizen participation and marketing tools.

“Clearly, the Rumor Control Page has done a lot to counter the false narrative,” the judges said. “Your statistics are impressive. This is a huge issue facing cities everywhere, and you are a great example of what can and should be done.”

Judges for the awards were government communication professionals from Kansas, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Maryland and Oregon. Each judge has previously won state or national awards.

“Our organization is full of city and county government communicators who are excellent at what they do. They are innovative, creative, passionate and dedicated, and that shows in their work,” said NC3C President Glenn Hargett.

The City & County Communicators association is designed to encourage professional development and networking among local governmental communications professionals. The organization was formed in March 2007 and is made up of government communicators from across the state.

For more information about NC3C, visit the website www.nc3c.com<http://www.nc3c.com.