The Spin: How Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s team communicates after gun violence

Four deadly shootings in a little more than a month, including the Bite of Seattle shooting and three fatal shootings in Belltown, provide a backdrop for examining how Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s communications team handles difficult news.

In this edition of “The Spin,” KIRO Newsradio reporter Luke Duecy looks at two recent examples and the PR strategies behind the messaging.

After the Bite of Seattle shooting, Wilson’s team released hundreds of internal text messages showing staff debating whether the mayor should go to the scene and expressing frustration over a five-hour delay in notifying the public. While the administration described the release as an effort at transparency, the timing, late Friday afternoon before a long holiday weekend, raises another question — was the release designed to limit the news cycle surrounding potentially damaging information?

Then came the mayor’s response to the Belltown shootings, released 48 hours after the shootings. Wilson called the violence “tragic and unacceptable” and announced additional staff and efforts to push for state gun-control measures. But her statement also emphasized that Seattle is “not unique” and that cities across America are facing the same problem.

That may be true, but “The Spin” examines how putting Seattle’s gun violence in a national context can also shift attention away from the city’s own response and make bad news feel a little less bad.

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