By Eric Omwombo
“Tell your stories to gain publicity from mainstream media”
This was said by Director Media Training and Development Victor Bwire while he was addressing communication officers from Western Counties.
Bwire said mainstream media will not stress themselves to pursue stories from counties but will only get attracted when stories done by communication officers are attractive.
The officers must craft and bang stories that will attract publicity.
AdvertBwire said It’s high time you revive the you tube accounts, websites, TikTok, face books and post own stories for public consumption,”,
“if you wait for favours from mainstream media, they will not come,”
“The media must do their job to promote devolution,”
“If your bosses finds out that you are boring and does not add value, he shall deploy you to other sectors,” said Bwire.
If he gets zero coverages or negative from the media, you will go even if you are his sister or brother,”
“The only way we can grow devolution it’s by availing information to that will positively market counties and do not let coverage get stuck on the negative.
He challenged the officers to work on graphics, quality data and ensure they have knowledge of county CIDP and Budgets.
You must understand your county programes and package it for the benefit of the public. Infact, Governors are interested on political coverages as that is pegged to their re-elections and so much efforts should go towards doing such stories.
Bwire asked the officers to extract stories from department when governors are not around instead of idling and post it for the benefit of Siaya people.
Some of the CECM’s and Chief officers have no businesses with the media and so it’s up to to the skilled persons at the directorate for communication to extract information and post it to tame media persons from doing factious stories.
“There is a challenges in accessing information and the power is bestowed to communication officers through the constitutional act 2012 section 93-96 obligates you to give information to the public.
“Your salaries are paid with tax payers money and hence it’s upon you to give information to the public,” said Bwire
The meeting was graced by Kakamega County Secretary Dr Lawrence Omuhaka.
