Transparency is the key to win society’s confidence
sharjah — A transparent approach and communication is a must for the governments to gain the confidence of society, said panelists at a session of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2017).
Government departments need to change the traditional approach on dissemination of news and keep up with the digital media in order to stop rumours from spreading, experts said.
Ashraf Zeitouneh, founding partner and chief executive officer of Innovation and Diplomacy Laboratories, said more than 200 million people use the Internet every day and they want access to information quickly. “The dilemma is that some of the government departments are reluctant to change their thinking. We live in a digital world and news should be provided as fast as possible,” he added.
Zeitouneh presented the Address Hotel fire incident as a successful example of handling the social media and government transparency. “How the Dubai government dealt with the incident is a lesson that should be copied. At a sensitive time when millions of people surrounded the place, the government didn’t block information, but provided it through social media,” he added.
Dr Amina Al Amawi from Qatar said that the invasion of social media has come abruptly, and most of the people turned to social media to know what is happening around them. “Even the leaders of nations are taking advantage of Twitter to announce new legislations and laws. This reflects the strength and presence of the social media platforms.”