CHAPTER –IV
Publicity Efforts at Regional Level
DDG/Director visits the units of his
region and for this purpose each month he goes out and visits at least two to three
units. During his/her tour he/she
inspects the unit and on return files
inspection report in prescribed proforma to the
Directorate indicating separately the action taken or being taken at his/her level and recommending action
where Directorate has to take
action. Some of the problems of
the units are
sorted out by the DDG/Director on the spot. He/She guides the FPO
and other members of the staff of the units how they
have to proceed on a certain matter of
importance. Inspections are being done
with the objective to improve the working of the unit. Apart from
the inspection of the unit's office which involves checking of
records etc. DDG/Director goes in
the field and watch the
programmes organised by Field Publicity Officer or FPA. He/She
points out specifically where improvements are needed.
Effective Coordination-
It is
in the interest of efficient
and effective functioning
of the units that DDG/Director’s
initiative for effective
coordination at state level and
at the field level is called for.
For this he
liaises with various State
Govt. Departments which
broadly include information
and public reactions,
agriculture, cooperative, planning,
community development, health
and family welfare,
social welfare, prohibition
etc.
Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee (IMPCC)
is one such forum which
operates at the state level. The
senior most officer of
the media of
Information and Broadcasting in the State is its Chairman
and the meetings are attended by Central
Government's as well as State Government's
officers representing these organisations which are associated with the
developmental activities or are directly
or indirectly connected with the publicity efforts.
Special Campaigns –
All publicity efforts are directed towards achieving the objective of seeking people's
participation in the process of
change, and with this in view, while the Field Publicity
Units carry on publicity
in their respective areas in the
sustained manner, JDs
take initiative to
launch special campaigns
and programmes on chosen themes to accelerate the
pace of efforts. Normally proposals
for special approach to be adopted
in respect of certain areas or a
specific groups are mooted
in the meeting
of Inter-media Publicity
Coordination Committee, which after
careful deliberations, work out
the modalities and details of the proposed campaigns for execution. The team of Field Publicity Officers
and the
men and material made available
by the state
Government organisation work in
unison with the pooled resources.
There are
two kinds of special
campaigns that are
normally launched - 'The
Multi-Media Campaign' and 'Intensive
Publicity Campaigns'. The
Multi-Media campaigns involve
participation of sister media
units of I&B at the State level like
Song & Drama Division, Exhibition
Wing of the DAVP, TV, AIR and Press
Information Department is also associated with
the campaign. The aim is
to focus attention on a
single specified subject with the involvement of all other
media and personnel concerned so that the people of the
selected areas are exposed
to the themes
through all media
of mass communication, simultaneously or in
quick succession.
Intensive publicity campaigns are
arranged by the DDG/Director through deployment of
as many units of his
region or of
neighboring regions as is
warranted by local
conditions. These units arrange
intensive publicity on
one specific subject to cover as many towns/villages as
possible in a compact area
and try to reach all sections of people in that
specified area. They are called
upon to arrange programmes at the places
selected under a plan schedule.
The participation of other media units helps creating the tempo and
the active coordination with concerned official and
non-official agencies paves way for
timely follow up action in terms of
extension work and other services and hence they should be
involved to the extent possible.
Talking Points- Talking Points
are issued from time to time to keep
the Field Officers posted
with the
latest information about the
developments on matters relating to the
subjects of publicity,
as also the
progress in the
implementation of various programmes of the Government and the benefits accruing to the people there from. It
gives background information and
Government's approach on subjects of
concern. While talking points issued by
the Directorate's headquarters
relate to the subjects of
national importance, DDG/Directors supplement them with information
relevant to their areas and support them with the date on
Government's programme in the
context of local problems and conditions. The Directorate issues talking
points in English and Hindi and in turn DDG/Directors make them available to their units in
the Regional/Local languages in their respective region. DDG/Directors are on the regular mailing list
of the local branch of PIB, State
Information Dept., State Agriculture department, Planning, Health and Family Welfare, National
Savings etc.. On any topical subject DDG/Directors take initiative to collect information, arrange
to prepare talking points and
issue them to his units with
proper guidelines for publicity to be
carried out on the concerned theme. While
collecting information care is being taken to ensure that it has been
gathered from authentic non-controversial sources and
in no case from any unauthorised
source. DDG/Directors make it clear to their field units that the talking
points issued by the Directorate or his office are for use in oral communication programme.
They are exclusively for the consumption of Field Publicity
Officials and not to be released
to the press or
public.
