By Staff Reporter
OSHAKATI – Government hopes the workshop it recently held for its public relations officers (PROs) in Oshakati will help dispense its message to the public more effectively in the coming years and beyond.
The workshop also worked out modalities that would ensure that key government messages are communicated to the public – and timeously.
“We want to respond rapidly and instantly to questions raised with government,” Wilson Shikoto, the acting director of print media affairs in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology told New Era.
Shikoto said the workshop was also meant to ensure that government speaks the same language on specific issues, as opposed to contradictory messages that could confuse its intended recipients.
“In general, we want to improve government communication,” Shikoto said.
Over 70 percent of government PROs and those from other governmental agencies attended the workshop in Oshakati.
Unam media lecturer Robin Tyson and New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) managing editor Toivo Ndjebela made presentations at the workshop.
Mzobanzi Jikazana, a revered government media liaison professional from South Africa, also spoke at the event – described by its organisers as a huge success.
“The presentations were eye-opening to government PROs,” said Shikoto.
“We’ll now come up with a government communication strategy, but we’ll first review the current communication policy of the government, which is very old.”
With the workshop now done and dusted, it is back to work for PROs who felt they will communicate better going forward.
“Media monitoring will result in more media releases addressing issues raised in the media,” Shikoto assured.