An audit of Kansas City’s communications department revealed top officials delayed and withheld public information to improve the city’s image.
Why it matters: The findings, released in a report last week by interim city auditor Marc Shaw, paint a picture of a department that prioritized branding over transparency, leaving media and residents waiting weeks for important details.
The big picture: City Council ordered the audit in April after years of complaints about slow responses, internal strife and confusion over a communications restructuring in 2021 under city manager Brian Platt, who was fired in March…