The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has called upon government communication officers to tap and leverage new and emerging media to articulate government programmes, initiatives and agendas.
MCK said that advances in technology have immensely changed the media landscape in the last decade and there is a need for communication officers to align their strategies to create more impact around government pronouncements and decisions.
According to MCK Chief Executive Officer, Mr. David Omwoyo, government communication is a crucial component of effective governance and public administration towards efficient service delivery to citizens.
Omwoyo, who was speaking in Naivasha during training session of government communication officers, urged the officers to revamp their communication through verifiable information, statistics and align their strategies within the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Agenda (BETA).
Speaking at the same function, Mr. Victor Bwire, the Director of Media Training and Development at the Media Council, said there’s dire need for government communication officers to invest in data collection and management in order to adapt to the changing media landscape.
Bwire said officers should pen their communication strategies with a citizen-centric approach and should have a niche in the media for effective communication delivery and influence national issues.
He said currently, there are 220 registered local radio stations and 135 Television stations, of which 80 percent are privately owned and therefore are a tool for business.
In addition, Bwire said that though the daily circulation of local newspapers continues to decline, there has been a gradual increase in the use of social media platforms and other new media, with statistics indicating 18 million Kenyans use WhatsApp, 12 million on Facebook and millions on Twitter and TikTok, among others.
“There is need for government communication officers to leverage the ever-changing media landscape and consumption needs of information consumers to articulate government programmes and development agendas effectively,” said Bwire.
On her part, Information Secretary at the State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunication, Ms. Judy Munyinyi, said the government is keen to ensure communications officers play a key role in undertaking all government development projects.
Munyinyi called on the communication officers to be agile in order to adapt to the changing platforms, avenues, and environments of information delivery and consumption.
According to Dr. Sam Kamau, a communication consultant, there is need for government communicators to be adaptive to the shifting and complex demographics, growing misinformation, constant developments of digital technologies, changing media consumption and growing polarisation aspects of society.
Kamau said credibility of information should be protected as a vital resource that builds trust among the public and must be at the centre of government concern.
Prof. Levin Obonyo, while addressing the over 100 participants, said government communication officers must develop consistent messaging within ministries and across government to ensure a common goal of delivering information is achieved.
By Erastus Gichohi
