Directors of public affairs councils at the area, national, multistake, key city, and stake levels serve under the direction of a priesthood leader who is assigned as the priesthood adviser to the council. The priesthood adviser and director should develop a close working relationship, focusing council efforts on the Public Affairs Core Purpose.

Area Seventies

• Called by the Presidency of the Seventy or Area Presidency to serve as priesthood advisers to national, multistake, or key city public affairs councils; may also serve as priesthood advisers to national councils in international areas or priesthood advisers to area councils in Utah.
• As priesthood advisers to national, multistake, or key city public affairs councils, Area Seventies organize the council, call and release council members, preside at council meetings or delegate presiding authority, oversee the preparation and implementation of the council’s annual public affairs plan, and designate the local spokesperson(s). They coordinate with: (1) the Presidency of the Seventy or Area Presidency to which they report, (2) their public affairs council director, (3) stake presidencies of stakes that support and have representation on the national, multistake, or key city council, and (4) Public Affairs Department staff as needed.
• Provide public affairs coordination and counsel as needed to stake presidencies that preside over their own public affairs councils; may arrange for these stake presidencies and members of public affairs councils to receive public affairs training in addition to what is available through this Web site.

Stake President

• With counselors, determines the extent to which the public affairs program is organized in the stake. In doing so, the stake presidency should consider the strength and experience of members and priesthood leaders in the stake.
• Directs public affairs efforts in the stake. Consistent with the core purpose of public affairs work, the stake presidency has primary responsibility for relationships with opinion leaders, including the media, and for the Church’s good standing in the community.
• Organizes the stake public affairs council and serves as its priesthood adviser. The assignment to organize this council and serve as its priesthood adviser may be delegated to a counselor. The priesthood adviser calls and releases council members, oversees and coordinates with the stake public affairs council director, presides at council meetings or delegates presiding authority, oversees the preparation and implementation of the council’s annual public affairs plan, and designates the local spokesperson(s).
• The stake public affairs council has a primary focus of building and maintaining relationships with opinion leaders from government, media, academia, and/or business and a secondary focus of implementing traditional media relations and community relations activities.
• The priesthood adviser to the stake public affairs council (stake president or assigned counselor) also coordinates with and receives counsel as needed from the Area Seventy assigned to the stake. This assigned Area Seventy may arrange for stake presidencies to receive public affairs training in addition to what is available through this Web site.
• Stake presidencies consult with their Area Seventy to determine how to meet local objectives through stake public affairs efforts that are consistent with the core purpose of public affairs work. They also communicate with their Area Seventy when negative or sensitive news coverage may have ramifications for the Church or when relationships are being established with key opinion leaders who can help or hinder the Church as a whole.
• When national, multistake, and key city public affairs councils are approved, Area Seventies are assigned to serve as priesthood advisers to these councils. A stake public affairs council may be asked to support and have representation on a national, multistake, or key city public affairs council, in addition to carrying on the work of its own council. This support and representation avoids duplication of contacts with opinion leaders and allows both councils to coordinate the implementation of traditional media relations and community relations activities.
• Stakes that support and have representation on national or multistake public affairs councils fund the national or multistake council budgets.
• Key city public affairs councils receive direct support and training from the Public Affairs Department. The stake to which the key city council director belongs may be designated as the agent stake for the key city council, but only for the purpose of receiving funds from the Public Affairs Department and disbursing them as directed by the key city council. The president of this agent stake does not attend key city council meetings nor perform a specific role on the council.