Please Prime Minister!
Another appeal for better government PR
Photo: Fiji Sun. The PM visited Ra after Kadavu.
In Kadavu last week PM Bainimarama announced he would retire in 2014. Some media took this to mean he would retire to his dalo teitei. It was then announced he would retire as PM but not as head of the RFMF.
My understanding always was that this is what he meant in the first place. He had said as much on earlier occasions. But he did not say so on this occasion. And a carelessly expressed, translated or poorly reported remark has once again been welcomed by his
detractors.
Radio NZInternational was off the mark quickly to say you're retiring. It took just one phone call to Canberra to ask Jonathon Fraenkel to make another of his expert "perhaps" statements. “Perhaps," he said, "the different messages that we keep getting in these meetings Bainimarama organises around the country [he's actually touring the provinces. The first PM to do so outside election times] are a sign that they are having to come to grips, what are they all about, what are they doing, what do they really intend for the future in Fiji.” Make of that what you will. Link.
Then FijiVillage said you're not retiring. Link. And The Sydney Morning Herald said you'll retire from the military as well, but cites no sources. Link. And so it went on: retiring, not half retiring, not retiring.
In all probabiIity the PM spoke in Fijian in a context understood by those those listening. Just as probably a journalist translated it into English, omitting the context. That's probably how it all started. And it is this story that was allowed to circulate without official clarification for several days!
Please, Prime Minister, better public relations are needed to "win hearts and minds" and isolate your opponents. This is why even armies have their own press corp. They seek strategic advantage on all fronts. You owe it to yourself, and Fiji. Appoint a press corp of experienced PR advisers and journalists.
They would certainly make my life easier!
8 comments:
Spot on, Croz. But just wait for the backlash from the PR skeptics like Qanibulu and The Max. You, at least, understand that an effective PR machine isn't about winning an argument but making sure your message is in the media mix. And in this instance, avoiding the misinterpretation and uncertainty that sometimes seems to be a hallmark of the regime. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that a former military bandsman isn't exactly the ideal person to head the country's information effort. I'm not saying Lt Col Leweni isn't a valuable member of the PM's team. But he needs to be able to draw on the expertise of people who understand the global media landscape and the minds of working journalists. The problem is that even your correspondents like Qanibulu think PR is bull and so, clearly, does the regime. I suspect that's because it's something they don't understand. An effective communications strategy begins in the PM's office and is issue orientated. How do we handle this particular announcement or crisis? Who will speak for the government on this? And also having someone there to provide advice when the proverbial hits the fan, as it invariably does. The Government should also be more pro-active on a regional front. It can identify journalists who've demonstrated some understanding of the its agenda and cultivate them by giving them priority access. Win over two or three opinion makers in the Australian and NZ media and half the battle is won. Provided, of course, you run a disciplined administration in which stupid decisions are avoided and only designated officials speak for the regime. Fiji hasn't been speaking with one voice and keeps sending out widely conflicting messages. Stop that and the other half of the battle is a lot easier to win. As you rightly point out, hearts and minds can be influenced if you make the effort. Look at the impact of Mark Johnson and Dick Smith's letter in the Australian Financial Review. And some of the more enlightened stories on Fiji from people like Graham Davis. By being exposed to these, many readers become aware that there is another, more positive, side to the Fiji saga. Yes, democracy has been sacrificed in the short term but it's to gain a more valuable prize of racial equality and a more level electoral playing field come 2014. Most reasonable people are open to persuasion if they're presented with a good argument. As you say, It's high time for Fiji to recognise it has a problem in this area and present its case in a more effective manner.
Agree that PR could be much better. It works both ways though. How many local and foreign journalists are prepared to give the Fijian Government good press?
Recently one Oz journalist has - only because he was on the same Island cruise as Frank Bainimarama and observed first-hand the Prime Minister meeting his people in remote island villages. Croz - Maybe you could post this story and the follow up stories/photos and video footage that are to be published this weekend in the Oz Observer. I wonder if the other prominent mainstream media organizations will pick up and publish what Oz photojournalist Derrick Den Hollander observed.
Oz photojournalist Derrick Den Hollander was joined on a cruise by Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, his wife and several cabinet ministers.
Fiji a nation on the cusp:
Derrick Den Hollander
Comment | 15th February 2010
http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/story/2010/02/15/fiji-a-nation-on-the-cusp/
"This is just a taste. Watch out for photo galleries and documentary footage online at www.gladstoneobserver.com.au and see The Observer on Saturday for an exclusive indepth feature and photo essay on this amazing country." - Gladstone Observer.
Check out a preview of the photos:
http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/photos/galleries/cruise-fijian-prime-minister/#num=1&id=cruise-fijian-prime-minister
Thanks White Frangipanni for sharing this with us.
People like Derrick who have seen first hand the marginalisation of the indigenous culture in Alice Springs by both the Rudd and Howard governments can really appreciate what Bainimarama is doing for his people. He stands out head and shoulders above the rest by his sense of conviction and infectious humility.
Thanks WF - an interesting teaser article. Hopefully Croz puts this on the frontpage of his blog.
You have an independent and unbiased journalist commenting on the situation in Fiji after taking a 1st hand look at things there - how refreshing is that. (as opposed to those who sit in their Offices in Aus & NZ and tell Fiji what to do)
Many people in Fiji are saying that Banimarama is doing a lot of good for the country.
Well, doesn't this prove the point? That if oversees journalists are exposed to the real story in Fiji, they're much more likely to be sympathetic? Get them out of the clutches of the hostile elements of the local media and the human rights lobby and show them what's happening on the ground. Mind you, I'd be a lot more impressed if it was one of the national newspapers in Australia rather than a local paper in a pretty remote part of Queensland. But hey, I guess every little bit counts. It would be nice, Croz, for you to reprint the main feature they're telegraphing after it appears on Saturday. Had a look at the photos already on their site and they're pretty good.
Bainimarama does not want to be too many things to too many people.
Thoughout the last ten years he has always followed his heart, done a few strange things, upset a few people and lost his cool a couple of times. But he has always worn his heart on his sleeve. There is nothing pretentious about the man. That is the appeal - what you see is what you get warts and all.
That is his mana - the spirit from within that attracts the Fiji people to him. Raw but genuine, it is the foundation of respect, especially among his people.
A good politician is not necessarily a good leader. Bainimarama is no politician, but he is a leader whose priority first and foremost is to inspire his people to change and accept change. To him that is hearts and minds.
If you wonder why he has never hit it off with the western media you must first understand the Fijian Pschye as Emomi Cama cleverly outlined in another article on this site.
I believe he will lose respect with his people (and himself) if he went to great lengths to procure a politicallly sanitised mouthpiece to sing his praises from the mountaintop and systematically attempt to debunk all the myths that have been conjured up by biased western media.
Proof of integrity should be evident in the actions of the individual. In the Fijian way you lose your mana trying to be too many things to too many people.
Ask yourself why if the military dictatorship has total control of the media they can't get their message across? It's no accident.
The fact that Frank's personal choice as spokesman was Neumi Leweni surely tells us something. He's a mumbling fool but he was selected as spokesman because of his relationship with the Commander.
Open your eyes. This is a dictatorship. Information inside the regime doesn't flow freely. Everyone is second guessing the dictator and trying to win his favour. Bad PR is just part of bad government. Democratically elected politicians have done a poor job of restructuring our sugar industry so that it can meet the challenges it faces but the military dictatorship has been an unqualified disaster and may well kill the industry entirely.
Qanibulu, this notion of yours that Frank's mana will be dented by embracing a modern communications strategy is nonsense. Even if it's true in the local context, and I doubt it, it's Fiji's international image that needs addressing. The regime doesn't have a PR problem in Fiji because it rules the media with an iron fist. But it needs to try to influence the international media in a more sophisticated way. It isn't manipulation, as you seem to think, but making sure the regime's viewpoint is constantly and consistently being presented. So that the critics don't have the debate all to themselves, as we've just seen with the coverage of the human rights hearings in Geneva. You seem to think PR is a form of witchcraft and that Frank will be swallowed up by the tevoro and robbed of his mojo in the eyes of ordinary Fijians. Amazing. It's the kind of superstition I'd expect from a Naitasiri house girl, not someone of your obvious talents and education.
Post a Comment