THE first day of the “Workshop on Mastering Government Communication: Empowering Spokespersons for Effective Public Engagement” was held yesterday morning at Horizon Lake View Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw.

The workshop saw officials from the Myanmar Press Council, trainers and representatives from ASEAN member states including Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Indonesia. Also present were representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat and observers from Japan as well as officials from various ministries.

On the first day, representatives from ASEAN countries discussed the competencies and challenges of government spokespersons, their roles in different countries, media landscapes and strategies for addressing misinformation and fake news.

Trainers then led discussions and practical exercises on public communication and research, audio editing, media engagement, interview techniques, key considerations in communication, handling classified information and crisis management.

The workshop, scheduled to run from 26 to 28 February is targeting to enhance the capabilities of government spokespersons in the ASEAN region. It seeks to foster effective communication between the media and government officials, improve message dissemination and strengthen public trust. The workshop also serves as a platform for sharing expertise and best practices in crisis management.

Organised by the Ministry of Information and the Department of Media Development, the workshop is part of an ASEAN Communication Committee initiative and is supported by the ASEAN Cultural Fund.

MNA/KZL

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