Defining different concepts of communication

Monday, Feb 25, 2013

Sharjah -Exposing the areas of difficulties in the communication process between governmental bodies and the public via the media, a panel discussion on government communication in Sharjah took place on the second day of the Government Communication Forum 2013 being held at the Expo Centre Sharjah, which underlined the advantages and challenges of government communication units.

The discussion focused on the role of the Sharjah TV and Radio programme the ‘Direct Line’ and government communication units under the Sharjah Media Centre in developing the flow of communication between the authorities, media outlets and the public

A panel which included Marwan Jassim Al Serkal, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority ‘Shurooq,’ Mamoun Sbeih, Managing Director of APCO Worldwide-Arab Region, Ahmad Salem Bosmonoh, and Sami Al Reyami Chief, Editor of Al Emarat Al Youm explored recent developments in communication and highlighted areas of difficulties that have obstructed a smooth flow.

Defining different concepts of communication, Ahmad Salem Bosmonoh divided the flow of communication into two sections which included that between the government and its governmental departments and between the government and the public which is also facilitated through the media. “The government manages public affairs based on specific policies, and it needs to have mechanisms to communicate with the public though a healthy, sound and proactive calm process,” explained Bosmonoh.

Bosmonoh also referred to a comment made by Ali Jaber, Dean and Assistant Professor of Communication and Information Studies of the Mohammad Bin Rashid School Of Communications at the AUD, and group TV director at MBC in an earlier discussion in the forum, where Jaber called government communication ‘stupid’. “I disagree with his comment- the tools may not be successful and the outcomes may not be satisfactory- but government communication is certainly not ‘stupid’,” he added.

Bringing forth government communication units as the main factor in the development of the flow of communication, Mamoun Sbeih said that the units aim to develop communication strategies in 50 different governmental departments. “The role of those units is not to replace the media but their aim is to develop, train and assist the communication departments in different government bodies to develop tools to make communication easier also with media outlets,” said Sbeih.

Also discussing the accuracy of stories, Sbeih added that the public deserve to know what the government is doing through the media.

Communication Units vs. Media

Pointing out a possible area of difficulty, Bosmonoh explained that journalists are often not in favor of such communication units as they consider them a barrier which makes their access to information even harder. “Journalists are intimidated by that word (unit) because they think it will make it difficult to access information,” he said. “The units’ main job is to look for the success of stories,” he added.

Agreeing with Bosmonoh’s view, Sami Al Reyami also added that while journalists prefer to have direct contact with officials and governmental departments, they are not always able to get all the information needed. “People need to understand what’s going on- if journalists cannot have access to this information, we need to find other channels that allow it,” said Al Reyami. Highlighting the speed of transfer of information through social media, Al Reyami also explained that communication units will help eliminate the distortion of information.

Sharing his views, CEO of Shurooq Marwan Al Serkal added that the reason behind Shurooq’s prominence is that it respects journalists and builds a relationship with the media facilitating a very smooth flow of communication. “We let journalists ask the questions needed and they are able to contact any of our employees through email, blackberry- we build their self-esteem and listen to their perspectives making the media our partners today,” said Al Serkal.

Al Serkal also discussed two main goals that are necessary between the communication unit ‘Shurooq’ and the media. “The information needs to be unified and should be presented at a timely fashion- there has to be transparency,” he added.

During the one hour discussion, Marwan also underlined the role of Sharjah TV and Radio programme the ‘Direct Line’ in connecting the public to the government by sharing their concerns. “We were able to talk to people who raise different problems and help in the solution process,” said Al Serkal.

Adding to the programme’s achievements, Bosmonoh said that while the direct line received 1300 complaints, 950 were resolved by officials.

By Jumana Khamis Staff Reporter