Communication, PR officers urged to sharpen skills to meet changing demands

• Mr Larry George Botchwey (seated middle) with the participants

The Head of Public Relations at the Ministry of Education, Mr Larry George Botchway, has appealed to his colleague practitioners to continuously equip themselves with the requisite knowledge and skills to function effectively in the ever changing communication landscape.

He said the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and sophistication in the digital environment made it even more imperative for PR and Communication Officers managing public information to stay adept to make their roles more important.

“As the voice of the Ministry and its agencies, our work is critical in shaping public understanding and trust in the education sector. Our role is key in building trust, ensuring transparency, and promoting the Ministry’s policies and programmes,” he emphasised.

Mr Botchway made the appeal at the opening of a two-day capacity-building workshop for Public Relations and Communication Officers of the Ministry of Education and its agencies.

The training, organised by the Ministry of Education, was to help equip PRs and Cos with the tools, knowledge, and skills they needed to adapt to the changing communication landscape.

He said the emerging trends of mis-and-dis information required that PR and Cos of the Ministry stayed ahead and this they could only achieve by being proactive with information gathering and dissemination.

A Public relations lecturer at University of Media Arts and Communications -Institute of Journalism (UNIMAC-IJ), Dr Ike Tandoh, emphasised the need for PR practitioners to leverage AI in this era of mis- and -dis information.

He underlined that PR professionals must adapt to the changing landscape, where traditional methods of writing press releases and rejoinders were becoming less effective, stressing that, “Many communicators often misinformed the public due to their failure to research facts before communicating.”

According to him lack of preparation and research often led to inaccurate information, causing fear, panic, and unnecessary public attention.

Moreover, hse further pointed out that some communicators intentionally spread disinformation, unaware of the consequences of their actions

“To be efficient in today’s digital age, communicators need to familiarise themselves with data analytics, social media analytics, and the digital space. This knowledge will enable them to choose the right channels to address issues and combat misinformation effectively” he added.

BY CLIFF EKUFUL