Staying Ahead: How the California JPIA Streamlined Media Monitoring with Meltwater
For California’s largest self-insurance pool, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA), staying informed about the communities they serve is vital. Their regional risk managers must keep a close eye on news from cities, special districts and public agencies to proactively address risks, celebrate successes and respond quickly to potential crises.
But with the overwhelming flood of media from social platforms, blogs and traditional outlets across the vast amount of agencies they serve, tracking critical news efficiently became a serious challenge. The JPIA needed a better way to monitor the conversations happening in each region without relying on time-consuming manual searches across outlets for their 120+ member agencies. Meltwater’s newsletter tool—introduced by the Tripepi Smith Media Intelligence team—proved to be the game-changing solution.
A Tailored Solution for Regional Oversight
Working with the JPIA, Tripepi Smith began by setting up customized searches designed to monitor each region’s public agencies. The team focused on identifying key terms and issues specific to the JPIA’s needs, from common legal risks to leadership turnover. The goal: automate the news filtering process to deliver relevant, curated information directly to each risk manager’s inbox.
The result was a fully tailored, daily newsletter for each region, allowing risk managers to get a snapshot of what’s happening in their communities without sifting through hundreds of irrelevant stories. Whether it’s celebrating a member city’s milestone anniversary or staying ahead of emerging risks, the JPIA could now stay informed with just a glance at their inbox.
Turning Information into Action
The impact was immediate. Not only did the JPIA’s team drastically reduce the time spent hunting down local news, but they also began identifying issues before they escalated into larger problems. For instance, when a sensitive public safety matter gained traction in local media within one of their regions, the timely newsletter provided the JPIA with valuable insights into the scale of coverage and public sentiment, enabling them to respond swiftly before the situation escalated.
On the flip side, the newsletters also helped the JPIA spotlight and amplify positive stories—such as member agencies receiving awards or completing important community projects—that might otherwise have been lost in the media noise. By staying ahead of both the good and the bad, the JPIA was able to foster stronger relationships with the agencies they serve and reinforce their role as a trusted partner.
The Meltwater process is as flexible as it is powerful. From the outset, Tripepi Smith worked closely with the JPIA to determine which terms and conversations mattered most, refining the search criteria until the results were just right. Over time, the newsletter tool has been continuously adjusted to incorporate evolving priorities and new topics. Whenever the JPIA flagged a new concern, the Tripepi Smith team quickly adjusted the search criteria, ensuring the newsletters remained relevant and timely.
Why Meltwater Makes Sense for Local Governments
Local governments across the country face similar challenges: managing overwhelming media volume, responding quickly to crises and staying ahead of important conversations. But Meltwater’s newsletter tool is more than just a solution to these problems—it’s a way to optimize resources and strengthen media relations.
Whether tracking environmental concerns, public safety issues or economic development topics, local governments can use Meltwater’s insights to support long-term planning and informed decision-making. By automating the media monitoring process, agencies can focus on what matters most: serving their communities.
With Meltwater newsletters and the expertise of the Tripepi Smith Media Intelligence team, your agency can keep a pulse on relevant news, respond quickly to emerging issues and celebrate successes with ease.
Ready to take control of your media monitoring? Contact Tripepi Smith today at MediaIntelligence@TripepiSmith.com and start making media coverage work for you.