We have indentified and talked about the 1001 things and have categorised them into six major areas of concern, but this is not important to the public and society as they don’t know about all our efforts, because we are weak in engaging the public.
This was what 20 senior and junior officers from the Fiji Prisons and Corrections (FPCS) heard when the FPCS Commissioner Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua opened a one day Managing the Media Workshop in Suva, yesterday (Thursday November 12).
The workshop was held in response to the instructions by the Commissioner that all officers authorized to engage with the media be up-skilled to in managing the media effectively.
The Commissioner told the participants that the acquiring of skills in handling the media is an ongoing thing and the workshop is a start in the right direction.
“This workshop cuts out our dependency on others in terms of media strategy.
“What you will learn in this workshop is the ability to effectively engage with the public, they are our centre of gravity.
The Commissioner said that since becoming the Commissioner of Prisons, he had identified that in order to inform the public about our good work the officers needed to be proficient in engaging the community.
However, he also said another area that he identified was the apparent weakness within FPCS in effectively communicating and disseminating information about the good work that the FPCS are doing.
The workshop was structured to instill in the participants the confidence to front-up to the media effectively through preparation and attitude and to understand the different types and mechanics of the media.
Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure Principal Media Liaison Sainiana Waqanabete was invited by the FPCS Media Cell to speak of her experiences in fronting up to the media.
This is the first in a series of media awareness workshops that is in line with the Commissioner’s intent of capacity building and institutional strengthening within the FPCS.