Kumar Bahukhandi
IN Short
More work with less effort using AI technology
New Challenges in Public Relations: Two-day state-level skill enhancement workshop for Public Relations Officers begins
Raipur: Dr. Ravi Mittal, Joint Secretary to the Chief Minister and Commissioner of the Public Relations Department, said that Public Relations Officers should prepare exclusive stories and utilise all media platforms for their widespread dissemination.
He said that officers whose stories are published at the national and state levels will be felicitated as an incentive.
Commissioner Dr. Mittal made these remarks at the two-day state-level skill enhancement workshop organised at the Samvad auditorium in Nava Raipur, aimed at strengthening the professional competencies of Public Relations Officers on the topic of “New Challenges in Public Relations.”
Commissioner Dr. Mittal said that in the current era, the medium of information and public relations is changing. New technologies are emerging, and Public Relations Officers can also use these technologies to make their work authentic, better, and completed within the stipulated time.
He said that we need to effectively utilise not only print media but also electronic, digital, and social media so that the government’s decisions can be conveyed to the public. For this, officers need to stay updated with new technologies, Dr. Mittal added.
On this occasion, he also emphasised providing internship opportunities to students from journalism schools and colleges in the Public Relations Department.
In the inaugural session, senior officers including Additional Directors Jawaharlal Dario, Sanjeev Tiwari, Umesh Mishra, and Alok Dev highlighted the role of clear, simple, and timely communication in public service, stating that effective communication is the greatest necessity for public relations. Participants were briefed on the outline and expectations of the two-day sessions.
The officers said that the objective of this workshop is to make public relations more powerful, modern, sensitive, and focused through news writing, television participation, and the effective use of social media.
The first day of the workshop began with a session on reader-friendly writing and making government news engaging, guided by Shiv Dubey, editor of Dainik Bhaskar. He provided insights into identifying the key takeaways from government orders and information relevant to the public, using simple and understandable language, and writing effective headlines and lead paragraphs.
He also discussed in detail the structure of press releases, the use of appropriate quotations, and the need for balanced and timely communication with the media during times of crisis.
In the second session, Vikalp Shukla, News Editor of All India Radio, shed light on the workings of television media. He provided information on presenting government schemes and programs as visual stories, the essential elements for TV coverage, taking concise soundbites on camera, and the importance of fact sheets.
The third session focused on the use of social media and AI tools. Rakesh Sahu, a social media, digital marketing, and AI expert, guided participants on the appropriate use of AI digital tools for photo and video editing.
In the final session of the day, Lajpat Ahuja, a retired director from the Directorate of Public Relations, Bhopal, provided information on readily usable tools related to the PR toolbox, stakeholder management, and crisis communication.
Public relations officers from across the state participated in the workshop.
