1 / 18

GOVERNMENT PR IN W.AFRICA

Bled, 2 . July . 2010 GOVERNMENT PR IN W.AFRICA Propaganda or Development Tool – The Case of Ghana PROPANDA - Definitions

paul2
Download Presentation

GOVERNMENT PR IN W.AFRICA

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Bled, 2.July.2010 GOVERNMENT PR IN W.AFRICA Propaganda or Development Tool – The Case of Ghana Bledcom 2010

  2. PROPANDA - Definitions • The “deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behaviour to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist”. (Jowett & O’Donell, )

  3. Propaganda and/or Public Information • Propaganda in its original sense is neutral, and may also refer to uses which are generally held to be relatively benign or innocuous, such as public health recommendations, signs encouraging citizens to participate in a census or election, or messages encouraging persons to report crimes to the police, among others. Bledcom 2010

  4. Is PR any Different ? • It aims to improve public image of organizations, governments and individuals. • It paints a positive side of the organization so it can influence attitudes and emotions of target audiences. Bledcom 2010

  5. SAME TOOLS ? • Traditional tools used in Public Relations include press releases, radio and television jingles, media kit, brochures, newsletters and annual reports. • Increasingly, companies are utilizing interactive social media, such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook, as tools in their PR campaigns. Bledcom 2010

  6. Pre-Independence W. Africa • The Ministries of Information in most West African states derive their origin from the British Ministry of Information. • The Ministry of Information (MOI) of the United Kingdom, headed by the Minister of Information, was a government department created at the end of World War I and again during World War II. It was the central government department responsible for “publicity and propaganda”. Bledcom 2010

  7. WEST AFRICA TODAY • Today, democracy is a growing trend in most of West Africa. • Instances of instability in countries such as Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Guinea Bissau, but Liberia and Sierra Leone which went to war for 14 years now have democratically elected governments. • Nigeria, Liberia, Gambia and Ghana are cited here for reference. Bledcom 2010

  8. Common Objective of Ministry of Information • to provide the citizenry with credible and timely information on government activities, programmes and initiatives. • ‘play a key role of communicating government policies and programmes to the people’. Bledcom 2010

  9. GHANA • Ghana currently boasts of some 150 private radio stations, 10 private television stations, and about 40 private newspapers. This is in addition to one state-owned radio and television station (Ghana Broadcasting Corporation) with countrywide transmission reach and two publicly-owned newspapers, the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times. Bledcom 2010

  10. Ghana 2 • The editorial positions of majority of the newspapers are anti-government but a significant proportion also supports the current Government Bledcom 2010

  11. Functions of Ministry of Information • Issues government press releases, responds to media and public criticisms and comments about government programmes and policies ; Press Briefings • MEET THE PRESS - Ministry offers the platform for other agencies of government to ‘inform’ the public about their operations. Sections of the public refer to these sessions as ‘government propaganda Bledcom 2010

  12. NEW ROLE OF MINISTRY ? • The major shift in the functions of the Ministry as opposed to the past and others in the region is the reference to ‘open Government policy’ • The open Government policy has been dictated by forces of globalization, democratization and information technology growth. Bledcom 2010

  13. INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT • Main Dept for ‘Propaganda’ • To Create awareness about government policies, programmes and activities through a fleet of cinema vans. • To assess feedback to Government programmes • To Support Ministries with PROS Bledcom 2010

  14. OTHER DEPARTMENTS • GHANA BROADCASTING CORPORATION • GHANA NEWS AGENCY • NATIONAL FILM & TELEVISION INSTITUTE • GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM Bledcom 2010

  15. CHALLENGES • Limited Government Resources /Budget • Liberalization of Media • Constitutional Guarantees for Press Freedom • Declining Capacity of Govt PROs In Various Ministries/Agencies/Departments • Existence of Spokespersons for Government at the Presidency Bledcom 2010

  16. PR & DEVELOPMENT ISSUES • 65 % rural population need more education on health, mining, oil & gas, information technology and agricultural issues • Minister, Hon. John Tia Akologu, “ the Ministry of Information has identified the need to develop a coherent outreach strategy for urgent implementation”. Bledcom 2010

  17. FUTURE OF GOVERNMENT PR • With commitment to an Open Government policy, Government needs to find more creative and professional ways of reaching the large mass of people who have no access to all the available private alternate media. • The Government’s PR functions as image maker can be operated from a small Unit within the Presidency. • The ISD can be restructured as Office of Public Information. Bledcom 2010

  18. THANK YOU • Contact : KOJO YANKAH, President, African University College of Communications, Accra, Ghana. Email: kyankah@aucc.edu.gh Website: www.aucc.edu.gh Bledcom 2010

More Related