Government PROs are not Spin Doctors – ISD

The Information Services Department (ISD) of the Ministry of Information has cautioned Public Relations Officers (PROs) assigned to the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) not to comment on political issues to avoid possible sanctions.Government PROs are mandated to provide authentic information about government policies to enable the public to make informed decisions.'Government PROs are not supposed to be on political party campaign platforms but should be working towards meeting the key performance indicators for the year.There are sanctions against civil servants that engage in politics,' Mrs. Ethel Cudjoe Amissah, the Principal Information Officer at the Public Relations Coordinating Division, ISD, gave the advice during the 2024 Public Relations Officers Mid-Year Review Summit in Accra, on Friday.The meeting aimed at taking stock of the activities of the government PROs and charting the way forward.Mrs. Amissah urged the State PROs to be professional and circumspect in their ut terances and actions and hinted that there would be a reshuffle of State PROs before the end of the year.Dr Winnifred Nafisah Mahama, Acting Director, Information Services Department, entreated government PROs to uphold integrity and combat misinformation, particularly with the upcoming elections.She underscored the need for PROs to rise above the wave of information disorders and provide authentic information to the citizens to make informed choices.'With the upcoming elections, PROs must put in extra effort to remain true to our core values. PRO professionals must focus on authentic communication, avoiding spin or propaganda,' she stated.'Authenticity in communication is paramount and we must give out information as it is, ensuring that the public has clear and accurate access to the facts.'This approach not only builds trust but also eliminates the need for continuous clarification,' she stated.Dr. Mahama underscored the importance of accessibility to accurate information, adding, 'By providing the public with truthful information, we eliminate the need for further clarification and maintain credibility, misinformation only leads to more complications and erodes trust.'Source: Ghana News Agency