This essay is excerpted from A Responsible Press Office in the Digital Age, published by the Bureau of International Information Programs.
I wrote A Responsible Press Office: An Insider’s Guide to answer questions I received when speaking about effective communications as a participant in the U.S. Department of State’s Speakers Programs. The book was subsequently translated into nearly 30 languages, received a number of awards, and has been used as a toolkit in countries large and small, north and south, old and new.
Since the publication of A Responsible Press Office: An Insider’s Guide more than a decade ago, new technology has transformed communications. Social media exploded onto the communications scene and raised a plethora of new questions, such as: How can I use social media with traditional media in reaching out to the press and the public? Should a government official blog? What do I do if a citizen posts a critical comment on my Facebook page? Is the message for social media different than that for the traditional press? How often do I need to update my Web page? What media should I use in a crisis: social or traditional media?
This book — A Responsible Press Office in the Digital Age — seeks to answer these questions, as well as address more traditional concerns such as how to combine a press office’s need for a long-term strategy with its responsibilities for daily communication, how friendly government communicators should be with journalists, and how to gain access to and respect from one’s boss. As in the earlier edition, the laws supporting freedom of information are not addressed in this book. This is not because they are not important — they are. They are not included because much has already been written about this topic, and I refer readers to the Bureau of International Information Program’s Media Law Handbook.
The material here reflects my own experience working in the United States and around the world, both in and outside government. I have covered government as a reporter and columnist, worked with government officials, politicians and journalists as an NGO executive, and worked in government as a spokesperson and executive. All these experiences have informed this publication.
As with the first edition of A Responsible Press Office, this book is also based on the good advice, tips and quotes I have gathered through research and interviews with a number of experts. They range from government spokespersons and officials to traditional and new media journalists, bloggers and videographers. Their guidance and cooperation were crucial in developing this toolkit.
On one issue, all of the experts I consulted were in agreement. No matter the size of their organization or the tools they use to communicate, they all said that the fundamental tenet of effective communications has not changed. It’s simple: Always tell the truth. Regardless of the medium of communication — be it a blog, a YouTube video, a radio interview or a print article — it’s the truth that matters.