What is the role of the Government Information Service (GIS)? Is it functioning effectively? Do political organizations under-estimate the power and effectiveness of public relations and media relations?
These questions should stimulate your mind as we go deeper into this article, which will be written in the most basic terms so that even the most politically ignorant and arrogant can be educated.
I will start with the government because regardless of which party is in government, there must be a government.
In my opinion, the current GIS is not functioning effectively because 1. It has poor media relations 2. It is too political and preferential and 3. It is seemingly competing instead of partnering with local media.
Media relations
Media relations involves working with various media for the purpose of informing the public of an organization’s missions, policies and practices in a POSITIVE, CONSISTENT and CREDIBLE manner. Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people responsible for producing the news and features in the mass media. The goal of media relations is to maximize positive coverage in the mass media without paying for it directly through advertising.
Many people use the terms public relations and media relations interchangeably, however, doing so is incorrect. Media relations refer to the relationship that a company or organization develops with journalists, while public relations extend that relationship beyond the media to the general public.
Now that I have provided the definition for media relations, let me ask:
1. How many times per day does GIS produce and disseminate information such as press releases and photos to ALL media houses?
2. How timely are GIS press releases?
3. How often does GIS organize press conferences with ministers, the prime minister, and other government officials about new government initiatives?
4. Why is it that some GIS officers, who are public servants, get involved in politics, showing their political biases publicly?
5. How often is the GIS website updated with timely information?
In several Caribbean countries I have visited and lived, the GIS DOES NOT COMPETE with the local media; they partner with the local media; the GIS functions like a true public service entity, and does not give the perception that it serves the ruling political party.
This is not the case in Dominica.
Two weeks ago I was listening to a radio programme hosted by GIS Senior Officer Mervin Paul. The guest was someone speaking about the millions of dollars the government has been pumping into local businesses so that they could expand, start new businesses and create employment. Some of the businesses mentioned received funding through the Investment Dominica Authority.
I heard about Whitchurch’s expansion in Portsmouth that will create over 100 new jobs when completed and the establishment of the recently opened Patty Shack, and many other investment programmes being done in partnership with the government and the private sector.
Now, everyone knows by now that Mr. Paul is biased towards the DLP government because he has openly supported the party. This has made his job more difficult, because as a public servant, he should not have been mixed up in this crap. Everyone has the right to choose their party of choice because it is a democratic right, but when it conflicts with your functions as a public servant for the people then a line has to be drawn.
Now, it is no secret that a lot of people do not like Mr. Paul’s programme or the individual, because of his public political leanings, therefore an opportunity to reach out to the entire populace about government’s partnership with the private sector will be sorely missed or lose the intended objectives of spreading “good news” about government activities.
But it was somewhat comforting to know about the many projects government has been instrumentally involved in as it regards to local investments.
Another example: There is this talk that government is borrowing funds – $27 million EC – to build a new State House. Yes this is a fact, but there is more to this – as I eventually learned. I was watching local historian Lennox Honeychurch on GIS TV, explaining that the $27M is not just for a State House, but for a world-class conference room, a building for the electoral commission and other offices, among other amenities, which has the potential to bring in government revenue, save the government money in the long-term, among other benefits.
The Old State House Project is basically divided into several phases and as I learned IT IS NOT just to build a palace for the president.
But no, the GIS and the government, like foolish people, sit back and hear the misleading information being disseminated in the media and public and do not JUMP ON IT immediately before it spirals out of control. Yes, one will say the media must do its job in seeking further information, but the government has an equally important role to ensure that they do the job that tax payers are paying for.
Competing with local media
The GIS ‘arrogantly’ currently sees itself as a competition to local media houses. In discussion with a few persons in government, they will tell you GIS has its own TV, radio programmes and its own website.
That’s fine, but how many persons make it a duty to watch media produced independently by GIS?
GIS is not popular, period! It cannot compete with DNO’s website, Q95, Chronicle news, and DBS news reports, etc. Why? Because people make it a daily duty to tune into local independent media reports.
Even the US government has its own GIS-type system, but if it was that popular as a stand-alone medium, why would it be necessary that the US Government host press briefings, press conferences, and release statements to the media?
This is why the GIS must partner with local media to disseminate information, or use local media as a channel of distributing information about government’s plans and activities.
I personally do not make it a habit to watch GIS TV. Most people will search for Marpin news in the evenings – NOT GIS TV. Sometimes you will stop at GIS when flicking through the channels.
In countries like Grenada, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, GIS entities ensure that:
1. ALL media houses – TV, broadcast, radio, online and print – are invited to cover all major government activities.
2. After these events, the GIS sends out informative press releases, audio, and photos to the media, in some cases, several hours, after these functions to ALL media houses.
3. Ministers’ speeches are not only published on GIS websites but sent out to all media immediately or prior to a function.
4. When ministers and other public officials are not available, GIS officers can be contacted by the local media to get information.
Not in Dominica. GIS is like a spoiled child playing alone. To put it simply, GIS is serving themselves, and not the public. No one makes it a HABIT to tune into GIS TV, their radio programmes or their website.
Now that there is an emergence in ONLINE MEDIA, GIS must ensure it trends with the times and seriously include the online media in its media campaigns.
At the end of the day, GIS cannot prevent persons from developing their own biases but it will help in providing and circulate factual information and make the public aware that government is in fact working.
Government is doing so much and past governments have done so much, but when GIS functions too much as a political tool, the intended messages are drowned in “bias” and it appears governments are doing nothing.
Currently, the GIS system in Dominica is not effectively organized. In the eyes of the media, GIS and public relations officers merely sends out media invitations, organize press briefings now and then and do their “own programmes” which are seldom disseminated into the main stream media on a frequent and CONSISTENT basis.
In other countries, GIS sends out press releases, photos, video and audio clippings SEVERAL times a day, DAILY to the main stream media.
A video project like the one Mr. Honeychurch did for GIS should be disseminated on Marpin, SAT TV, DNO, and other electronic media, and the GIS officer should ensure that press releases and artistes impressions (properly written and produced) be released to all media.
Despite the backwardness of the government’s public relations and media relations systems, the Ministry of Health must be lauded for releasing press statements to the media, as well as the education department. But this needs to be done more on a wider scale with trained reporters who can write proper press release that will be used by the media or at least be worth time to be read thoroughly by an editor. Despite what is being released by these departments, more can be done because I am sure the Ministry of Health, caters to a lot more.
For e.g. the Princess Margaret Hospital is undergoing some works on its fences. For the past week, I have noticed a lot of rehabilitation work on the hospital but the GIS have not released anything to the media. The GIS gives no frequent reports on the progress of the road projects.
If GIS is relying on the media to report on every single activity that government does then GIS serves no purpose and should be closed.
The Prime Minister is yet to hire a press secretary after Sean Douglas left. And if there is a new press secretary or PM spokesman, who is it? Parry Bellot? I hope not.
PM Skerrit must understand, that as a civil servant, employed by the people, he must inform us about all his travels. Whenever US Presidents go on official business, the GIS or press secretary informs the media in a simple press release stating where the president is heading, why he is heading to that location, the objective of his visit, the planned date of return, and who will be acting in the position.
If the president goes on vacation, the government informs the media and informs them as to who is acting.
This is “freaking” protocol. The public NEEDS TO KNOW THIS. If the PM cannot handle this by himself, for God’s sake where are the GIS officers, where is your press secretary? Each time the PM hops off island without informing the public, he makes it worst for himself.
The PM also talks too much. And his sidekick Tony Astaphan also needs to shut up sometimes. These guys need to talk when it is necessary, talk facts, and stop feeding rubbish to the populace; stop getting too political and be of service to the public.
Each time the PM talks out of turn, it comes back to haunt him. The entire Government needs an educated, well-trained and trusted press secretary or an effective public relations team to do a service and not a disservice to the people of Dominica.
There are many other things I can write about concerning GIS, media relations and public relations, and I am always ready to challenge the naysayers, because they will have things to say, but I cannot be too long. I may not use fancy words, but I know my thing.
The UWP is also suffering from not having proper public relations and media relations mechanisms in place. The DFP has more strategy and better public relations, but neither party is employing them effectively.
Before I leave, let me say this: it is difficult in almost any country, esp. Dominica, to be branded a neutral media, because almost nothing you do pleases everyone. You give detailed coverage of a government event and you’re branded red, you give detailed coverage of a UWP event and you’re branded blue.
Local journalists and media owners should be careful that they cover news and not lean to any political party publicly. Serve everyone, not just a few.
It is impossible for media houses to be everywhere, to cover every event, but the public does not understand this, unless they have had media experience. It is easy for anyone to say what they want looking from the outside.
With that said, political parties must learn that it cannot buy any media house forever and media houses must learn that political parties change like the weather. Today, you accommodate them and take sides and tomorrow when they’re in power they come back and bite you in the butt. This is why, it is important to not seemingly take sides and stay out of the politics and stay in news.
See ya in the New Year.
Nice Guy. This is a great article. I hope Mr. Paul and the Minister responsible for the GIS. Read it slowly like me. They seem to be off key and if they take heed of the points you made it will be surely in their interest to bring about some of the truly positive things that the various ministries are doing. Mr. Paul seems to think that only vote related news is important. There are many other interesting that are important that might give votes in the end……….
Good governance require good management. There must be training and experience. How well trained or experienced are the managers of GIS? What is the commitment to professionalism in GIS?
Mr Nice Guy where have you been? I enjoyed reading your article. Very well written article and read it very slowly and again again.
It is a very good artical well write Mr Nice.
Journalist and reporters should read and give facts about what information they are sending. But it is sad that Journalist and reporters give there opinion on the information rather then what is the content
Typically cut and past based on the political preferance
Journalist, reporters DBS and GIS must remember
OPINION IS LIKE A ASSHO…… EVERY BODY HAVE ONE
ALL THEY SHOULD GIVE IS INFORMATION NOT OPINION
CAUSE WE ALL HAVE ONE
Mr. John Brown or should I say Mr. Donkey Thought??????????????
Grow up!!!
Admin is Mr. Nice Guy…lol
My partner you should not have written the article if you wanted to remain anonymous.
Anyways good points but i am patiently waiting for the day when we will put politics on the back burner and start looking at developing Dominica. Yes there are some issues that have to be dealt when but lets multitask we cant put everything else on hold JUST to resolve one point cause when u get the solution to that point then u have to start all over something that could have been finished by now….
Lets forget DLP,DFP and UWP and lets think DOMINICA!!!!!!
ADMIN
In January, Nice Guy will return to the humorous issues and there will be a new column for serious issues; plus Dear Bella and others will return.
well said
Very well written, Nice Guy. I believe the best examples of the use of the GIS are found in Barbados and Jamaica. In fact, in Jamaica, recognising that it serves the country, it is called Jamaica Information Service (JIS). In both cases, they serve the country, not the politicians. They are staffed with true professional journalists, not hand picked political henchmen.
How can we in Dominica have a truly professional GIS when the head is nothing but a party stooge? How can we begin to function professionally, when at the state-owned media, the news editor is dragged through the coals for reporting a story that the government doesn’t like? When the Prime Minister calls to question if the news director is looking to “mess us up” because the a story is run on Transparency Internationals corruption index? When members of Cabinet call to ask “why do you run this story on the PM citizenship, don’t you know this is a government station?” If they do this with the state-owned station, the station that belongs to the nation, the station owned and paid for by tax payers, what will they not do with GIS?
I’m skeptical about any improvements at GIS because, unfortunately, our political leaders are not mature enough to establish a professional unit that serves the country. It’s all about serving the people in power and massaging their misdirected sense of importance.
G.I.S. reminds Cassandra too much of Pravda (= literally translated “Truth”) in the old soviet union, Everything is always rosy in the garden and our leaders must be constantly praised. Clearly this does not reflect reality and the powers that be should be confident enough to share with us,all happenings concerning Dominica, unless they be state secrets. Yes, they can, and will always give their spin on it but as it is this organ, G.I.S. is an expensive white elephant. As soon as I hear Mervin’s intonations now I switch off. The same applies to Mr. “Tout Moun”, not that one can accuse the latter of any blatant political bias bur nonetheless the way the poor man has to present “the facts” is a total turn-off. This is a great pity. They could make a better job of things, and make themselves more popular and digestible, by developing a healthy, mutually respectful relationship with the commercial media houses and give themselves the credibility that is lacking now.
PS. In Cassandra’s school “media” was always the plural form of “medium”.
Great article! Very Correct! My sentiments exactly but your headline is misleading.
Your are keeping it real to the minority who can read and understand but to the majority of us who cannot read nor understand you are an opposing factor by trying to educate them. “FOOLS”
One of the articles that was worth the time. I do think that more information should be distributed and you are right there need to be more relationships built. I think that through a proper distribution of information in Dominica a lot of or some of the misunderstandings that arise would not even make breaking news and that would be more informative for people than hearing different things from different sides.
As I said before you are right the GIS must become more proactive.
Nice Article.
Mr. Nice Guy very interesting article with good food for thought. Hope Mervin, Tony, Parry and the rest of the mongoose gang don’t attack you as been part of the opposition. Remember Brian Alleyne?
On an upbeat note this is great analysis of the situation. GIS is more the DLP organ than Government mouthpiece. Guess what Mervin Paul has lost it. He is too busy as a DLP attack dog than doing his work as Government’s Chief Press Officer.
Need for analysis like that fair and balance.
Welcome back Mr Nice Guy.
Finally a voice of reasoning.
God bless Dominica and all the wonders that she has produced
Well written and very easy to comprehend.
The presenters lack professionalism. They need to be reminded that GIS is a government information channel for the people. More upto date information is required. We should not be left to speculate, this will only lead to us forming our own news.
A professional journalist will not show/voice their political preferences. They should be able to show the same unbias view no matter which party is governing.
We tune into GIS atleast 3 times a week, the programmes are repeated much to often. We prefer Marpin, DNO and the Chronicle.
.
G.I.S stands for Government Information Service. No one has ever in the history of DOMINICA look at G.I.S for balanced independent news reporting, no matter who is in power. Every government of DA changes the director when they get in and it’s always a party loyalist.
G.I.S news is bias,this is not hidden, this is well known, to say Mr. Paul as a public servant, should not have been mixed up in this crap and that he is making his job difficult, makes no sense because he is doing his job,(giving the government side)
G.I.S reporters are embassadors of the Government and no one sends an enemy or a fair independent balanced person to represent them. You want a die-hard loyalist and there is nothing wrong with that.
This bull-crap has to stop somewhere!
You could not have said it any better, I have always thought the exact same thing, but people do not seeing it that way. GIS usually hogs the stories when they should be infact trying their utmost best to put out evrything POSITIVE the government does and also adress the NEGATIVE issues and rumors as soon as possible to do damage control before the rumor mill takes over. I know Mervin Paul very well and yes he does make it known and that is one thing I cannot stomach about him and alot of other publci servants who do the same things as well. It is not just unprofessional it dam right disrespectful and rude. GIS acts like the public and other media houses are supposed to beg for information on ongoing projects or issues and that is definitely not the function of a government department
To Mr. Nice Guy
I read your message line by line, paragraph by paragraph, and I say thanks to you for the message of insight and strong viewpoint. You are definetly right, pertaining to your describtions to the manner by which the GIS–Government Information Service–should function.
But citizens should be aware that they need to get informed. Too many people are simply yapping for and against situations which they do understand, as they rely on the hear from talk shows, or read from their favority news papers. Unfortunately, one false message will travel much fast than two or three message of truth. That is why we need to know the facts before we say anything. If GiS is the best answer in relationship to government functions, then it should be properly established.
I truly believe that the government of a country is both–the ruling government and the opposition. Those men and women should be sensitive to conducting all government issues for the benifit of the development of the country and for the welfare of its people. Unfortunately men and women of authority chose to do things that will satisfy their ego, forgetting that the people are the reason they stand high above. How can things work well with Dominica’s government when opposition refuse to sit at parliament meetings?
I hope that many people will receive the message that you have passed on, that they will learn to discern the positive from the negative, before they decide to put men and women in rulership on their behalf; and especially in Dominica. Let us hope for changes that will lead us unto the positive direction. I look forward to reading more articles like yours. Thank you once more.
Personally i do not look at GIS..I think that Paul at CIS is a politician singing for his supper …
why is lennox honneychurch telling or advising dominicans about the state house? is he a public servant or an historian , he has entered the political arena and is becomming a polarising figure. he will live to regret that day
Is that a threat to Mr.Honneychurch? Did Mr,Brisbane not entered the political arena with his actions and is a polarising figure?
Allso how about the other lennox ( polarising figure),is he a journalist or The Leader of the Opposition?
Men like Lennox Honeychurch come at a dime a dozen, I had many such men behind me in Zimbabwe, atudy people study us well, from Stalin to the despots of today, we couldn’t accomplish our goals without men like Lennox, men who once had some credibilty and respecttability. When we lost our, we send them out, by the time we are done with them, they lost all their respect and credibility to.. Don’t worry they get paid handsomely for what they do, so they don’t mind losing their respcet and credibility… We call people like Lennox our “BROWN SHIRTS”.. They come in very handy to us, without them we cannot accomplish our goals.
To hmm2
You sound like those people who decide that they sick, and continues to visit all sorts of doctors, regardless of the fact all the doctors are finding nothing wrong with them.
In other words you sound like someone who have decided to condemn of find faults, and you have rejected all manner of explanation, or the plead for forgiveness, towards those of whom you find displeasure..
I think Mr. Honeychurch is doing great in explaining what the Government is TRYING to explain, what they are not bringing out to the massive. Lennox Linton on the other hand, a man with much credibility & Respectability. Things like this some will cover their eysballs so that they will not see what he is doing. The fact is that it is a democratic society in which we live and the Government needs to have the right mechanism in place to do our work, the work that we employed them to do, and we also need men like Lennox Linton to Keep us informed on matters that should be important to us because the government just simply cannot do as they please.
It is a good to just support a party and you cannot see where they are going wrong. The bloody problem is that we lean too much so we can be looked at Sols this fish with eyes on one side. Too many of us in Dominica are like this, the country is going no where with. I would like to Commend Mr. Nice Guy for this article. I learned some stuff and i believe it is time that the Government have a better system in place to disseminate information because it really look like they are in a war with other media houses in the country. That is really not a smart thing to do.
Every Dominica has the right to speak politics!
Great stuff… man Great stuff.
none of them understand these essential relations. The DLP has more money to spend that is all.
If the UWP understand these essential relations why did Mr.James when he was PM was at war with Marpin News and called them the 3rd Opposition?
Mr. John Brown i guess you did not understand what maindesk said. I think you just want to get the opportunity to say something about UWP. It is wise for us to start making a change and learn from the past.
Forward we go na!!