Methodology
Last updated: November 2026. Published by Beltway Media.
The checklists on this site are written by Beltway Media from the areas its fractional chief communications officer service covers, and every item must be a specific, verifiable action.
The Communications Checklist is published by Beltway Media and is not an independent review. This page explains the rules used for checklist items, the self-assessment, comparison tables and statistics, so readers can judge the recommendations for themselves.
Every item must be a concrete action that a named person can finish and that two people would agree is done or not done. Items are grouped by the areas Beltway Media covers in its fractional chief communications officer service: messaging and brand strategy, media relations and public affairs, investor, stakeholder and internal communications, crisis preparedness, and spokesperson development.
The fractional CCO self-assessment counts yes answers to eight leadership signals, then uses two questions about daily demand and budget to separate fractional from full-time. The thresholds are shown next to every result. The result is an estimate to guide a conversation, not a hiring or business decision.
Comparison tables judge every option on the same stated criteria with the same kinds of facts. Because Beltway Media publishes this site and sells a fractional CCO service, the comparison says so in its caption. No prices are shown because Beltway Media does not publish pricing.
Statistics come from published sources and are quoted with their full range and conditions, with a link to the source. They are never presented as Beltway Media data, and they appear only where they explain a specific checklist item.
Pages are reviewed when facts change, and each shows a "Last updated" date. Questions about how something was chosen can be raised in a free consultation or on the FAQ page.
No. The Communications Checklist is published by Beltway Media, the communications consulting firm whose services are described on these pages. The checklists are written to be useful whether or not you ever hire the firm, and the methodology page explains how items and recommendations are chosen.
No. The checklists on this site are communications planning tools. Legal duties, such as breach notification rules or securities disclosure requirements, vary by industry and location and should be confirmed with qualified legal counsel. Use the checklists to organize communications work and to prepare better questions for your advisors.
Beltway Media is a D.C.-based, full-service communications consulting firm that helps organizations craft and deliver communications strategies that cut through noise, build trust and drive measurable results without the overhead of a full-time hire. Its core offering is a fractional chief communications officer service. It publishes this site.
Yes. Every checklist on this site is free to use and works without an account. You can tick items in your browser or print the page. Beltway Media also lists a free Startup Communications Checklist and a Cybersecurity Communications Checklist on its own free tools page at beltway.media.
Most organizations review their communications checklist at least once a quarter and again after any major event, such as a launch, leadership change or crisis. There is no single required schedule, so set one that matches how fast your organization changes and assign one person to run the review.
A free consultation with Beltway Media starts with your challenges, goals and current capabilities, the same inputs these checklists are built around.
Published by Beltway Media
