BRIDGING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN GOVT AND MEDIA
In a ‘free’ world, not only do the media report the news, they also create the news by deciding what to report
Tis published.
For some leaders to demand or dictate what the media should report is rather disingenuous, seeing how vociferous they were in calling for freedom of the press when they were the opposition.
Placing things in the proper perspective, perhaps it has not dawned on such leaders and their communications teams that they need the media more than it needs them. No one reaches the masses more effectively than the media and the sooner they realise this, the job becomes easier.
The role of the media and its impact on society is unparalleled: it is one of the most powerful communication tools in today’s world. It can promote the right narratives at the right point of time to the target audience.
Political leaders should know and understand the difference between the role of the media and how communications works, for they are two distinct disciplines. I was persuaded by a friend to listen to a media practitioner on television offer some rather useful advice to politicians — hire members of the press to be their press secretaries. There is merit to this advice, but while journalists are excellent at understanding how the media ecosystem works and know just the kind of sound bites their peers tend to congregate to, some lack experience when it comes to crafting holistic messages directed at multiple audiences across many platforms, which is what the discipline of communications is all about.
I believe that the selection of someone from the media fraternity to lead a communications team only addresses one aspect of the total scope required.
In today’s digital world, with the introduction of new and innovative platforms, the role of press secretaries or communications teams have evolved from being just a media liaison to a communications strategist.
They have to be able to execute their roles with finesse and forethought. They must be able to navigate the ever-changing communication platforms available — how well they traverse this new and dynamic ecosystem determines how effective the messages are in reaching the target audience.
Even Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo understands the need for a positive relationship with the media fraternity. He had called on officials in all ministries to cooperate with the media and hoped that “journalists will be given full support by the ministers and their respective ministries”.
Having said that, I hope government leaders and their communication teams forge a productive relationship with the media fraternity so that they are able to disseminate the accurate information to the public.
In today’s digital world, with the introduction of new and innovative platforms, the role of press secretaries or communications teams have evolved from being just a media liaison to a communications strategist.