PSs asked to embrace emerging media

Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua

Principal Secretaries have been urged to take a more proactive approach in communicating government policies and its development agenda through use of emerging media channels such as social media.

Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua said with the emergence of citizen journalism and the ever evolving social media applications, government projects and agenda may sometimes be lost in translation.

"Distortions and misinterpretation of Government agenda and information through the media is a common thread today and there is a need to train government officers on how to disseminate government communiqué effectively," he said.

Kinyua made the remarks during the opening of an Effective Organisational Communication and Crisis communication workshop for Principal Secretaries at Serena Hotel in Mombasa last week.

He said that although the relationship between the government and the media has always been adversarial, there is a growing need for objectivity in reporting, especially when it comes to highlighting government achievements.