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TOO MANY MOUTHPIECES MAKE FOR MUCH NOISE AND LITTLE SENSE
The poor public relations of the government make for an amusing spectacle. The government is tripping over its own excuses; it is stumbling over its own reasons and failing to convince anyone about the real reasons why certain actions are being taken.
The state-owned Guyana Chronicle has not changed from being the mouthpiece of the government. It invariably parrots official positions.
The problem with the government is that there are so many other mouthpieces and spokespersons that the inevitable contradictions appear on issues.
In the Tuesday January 2 edition of the Guyana Chronicle quoted an unnamed source as saying that the President deemed it necessary to remove Dr. George Norton as Minister of Health because the Minister was spending too much time having to deflect attacks from the opposition and the media. In other words, what the source was saying was that the controversies raging around the Minister were affecting his work.
This was not a very convincing explanation but it may have had a modicum of truth in it. There have been calls within the media and in the opposition for the Minister to be relieved of his portfolio.
The President has given a different explanation. And this is the source of the confusion within the government. The President was reported as saying that “adjustments” that had to be made was because of management problems at the Ministry.
It shows the public relations debacle that faces the government. Too many persons are speaking to the same issue; not just in relation to this incident but in relation to all other controversies and it exposing the government to criticism.
The President’s explanation was equally unconvincing. If there is a management problem at the Ministry, then why remove the Minister. The Minister is not responsible for managing the Ministry. This is the work of the Permanent Secretary. The Minister is responsible for policy direction.
So why shuffle the Minister if there is a problem with management? It makes no sense.
All of this could have been avoided if the government would make use of the public relations professionals within the country. There is no need for two more persons to be addressing the same issue. There is no need at all for a President to be coming to the defence of his Ministers every time there is a controversy. This is why you have press secretaries. Their job is to provide the answers where necessary. They are supposed to shield the Executive from adverse publicity.
They are also necessary to promote the popularity of the President, the government and the Ministers. They are usually in the forefront deflecting difficult issues.
The problem with most Governments in Guyana is that when the party in power is campaigning for office, it finds it necessary to employ public relations firms and experts to do its work. The stakes are high and therefore the best is recruited and paid.
But when the party gets into office, there are persons within the government, including Ministers, who suddenly behave as if they know what needs to be done and do not need the assistance of the experts. They suddenly become too cheap to pay these experts. They have power and they believe that they know it all. It is a political disease that is not unique to any particular political party.
It would save the government a great deal of embarrassment if it hires professionals to do its public relations work rather than untried and untested persons. It would save a lot of money and problems if the Ministers, instead of deluding themselves into believing that they do not need professional help, would resort to such help rather than employing those with limited expertise in PR work.
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No matter how qualified the PR official is, he/she will be unable to pull wool over peoples’ eyes. Everything is now on social media and Guyaneae are actively engaged. They know when things are not going right no matter what the public officials say. Sometimes we need to tell things as they are although it may be bitter pills.