Public Relations. I don’t know 
how many of you heard the Chief Minister on Elkin Richardson's “To the Point” on Monday. I missed it myself because I was stupidly looking at a movie and missed the start time of 7:30 pm. I have been around town Tuesday morning. Everyone was talking about the show. Some of the comments are quite revealing.
One person told me, “I thought he acquitted himself very well. If he had done this once a week for the past seven years, and simply explained what they are doing and why, they could have prevented much of the criticism they've received. It is a mystery to me why all of the Ministers have such a poor understanding of simple public relations -- simple communication, actually. They should dump Curtis and hire Elkin to do their PR.”
Someone else told me that the CM commented that he doesn't like to come on the radio because he prefers to discuss issues with people face to face. In a community of 13,000 people this is either bogus or stupid. I don't know which is less worthy. The CM has to ensure that his plans, programmes, and activities are broadcast and widely publicised. It is simply not possible for him to have a personal chat with each person on the island.
It is not hard to give an example of what can go wrong if he fails to do this. I understand the CM said he was listening last week when someone [Haydn] called in to the radio programme accusing him of lying about working on the minimum wage regulations. According to Haydn, a committee had been appointed but had never met. Last night the CM corrected this and said they had met twice. But again, if the CM had told the people the committee had met twice, instead of keeping it a secret, this would never have happened. He isn't a victim of Haydn; he's a victim of his own secrecy. Meeting personally with a small clique of sycophants at breakfast at Nico’s Restaurant is not a substitute for talking openly and regularly to the people by broadcast on the media.
Congratulations are due to Elkin for prising the Chief Minister out into the public view. We all hope he can do it again soon. For the Chief Minister's own good.
"When you have a Government that isn't producing any information, then you have people who listen to propaganda. All this could have been avoided in the first place if information had been disseminated." --Prince, KOOL-FM, 28 January 2005
ReplyDelete"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee".
ReplyDelete--Hosea 4:6
Two days running you write about the Chief Minister in generally laudatory terms; what, pray, is it you want from the Government Mr. Mitchell? Tell us.
ReplyDeleteIt is of the nature of us Anguillians that if you say someone in government did something right, you must be trying to get a favour from that person. Government officials exist either to for us to get something from, or to victimise us. Greed and selfishness has become so ingrained in our society that we are blind to everything except what is or is not on our own plate, and if you turn your head for just a second, your neighbour may grab and eat your lunch.
ReplyDeleteIn this atmosphere, Justice Mitchell, it is simply not believable to most Anguillians that you aren't trying to get something for yourself.
To those who understand, no explanation is necessary. To those who do not, no explanation is possible.
The Chief Minister Did a Session Today at the conference on Youth and Development with about 120 young people, which was very well received.
ReplyDeleteI am glad the Chief is getting out more, and talking to the people. I am sincere in thanking him for doing that.
ReplyDeleteBut how many Bloods were there? How many Crips? How many lost souls did he save by preaching to this choir? Who is dealing with the lost sheep besides the police, the courts and the prison?
We all as Anguillian are becoming too smart for our own good and are allowing our greed and thrust for money cloud our judgement.We seems content to exist in past and it will be our own undoing.We have a unique opportunity to create a country where things can be better than most because we have seen or witnessed our countries's failing political systems.Dispite this obvious fact,we are still reluctant to act responsibly in either drafting or creating a constitution that will properly protect our fundamental rights and freedoms.
ReplyDeleteAre we so blind or lasy to really do this.Why do we constantly whine about the Gov't and its corrupt practices ,or the corrupt practices of the elected officials,and yet do nothing about it?
It is now the time to put up or shut up.It is time to act and do what is necessary to change things and reshape our destiny.No one can do it for us, this is something we must do for oursleves.
Our CM can only do as good or bad as we allow or permit.He has done well over the years but if his and his Gov't 's productivity has been depleted it is time to regroup and bring in new blood,new visionaries.We have several capable and qualified persons on island.For a small country ,we have a high talented ratio of lawyers and scholars to fulfill our lagal and political systems's needs.Lawyers like the Kentishes',Lakes,Reids,Richardsons, and others are ,in my opinoin ,quite capable of executing the office of the AG,Asst AG's,Deputy Gov,etc.
My point is that we are capable of using our own lacal talent to perform these necessary function and not rely on foreigners or outsiders to be the our guardiansof our political or legal institutions.
Most times we are reluctant to effect change in our routine but sometimes it is essential to our very survival.The beauty of any democratic society is that we are endowed withthe ability to effect that change whenever we deem it necessary and with what ever frequency the law allows.
Anguillians Please stand up and use this democratic right and help change our failing system.