- As the popular saying goes, half-baked information is no information at all. Why? Simply because dissemination of information must be precise, concise, elegant, and without missing out on vital aspects that may lead to confusion now and in the near future as well. Especially when it comes to government authorities wishing to convey the larger contours of any issue should be certain while they go about disseminating for the consumption of the general public. As you are aware, the optics of presenting facts and figures matter most in the information-technology-driven digital world, where there is no dearth of different mediums sharing real-time information in a jiffy. Thus, the onus squarely rests on the official government media on matters of great relevance.
PC: News9live
- Every concerned citizen would have noticed how two big occurrences India witnessed in the last few months were dealt with by the government authorities. I am referring to Operation Sindoor and the Ahmedabad Boeing Dreamliner crash. Needless to mention, the government authorities must learn the art of a good press briefing. Optics, alongside narration, equally matter. AAIB was upset enough over a report published last week to state alleged misreporting of its preliminary probe report into last month’s Dreamliner accident in Ahmedabad. AAIB said its preliminary report had addressed only the WHAT of the crash, and incorrect conclusions were being reported. Soon after AAIB’s briefing, the Indian pilots’ association criticized the AAIB report’s tone.
PC: Sputnik India
- More questions were raised than answered in the melee. The nub of communication is that audiences interpret the facts presented in the manner intended by the communicator. It is the standard and quality of communication that Indian authorities often fail to deliver. What investigators believed they put out was not what the world heard. This isn’t the first time this has happened. In the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, the single powerful communication delivered on point was no escalation. There were no mistaken takes on New Delhi’s palpable restraint. However, recollect how the authorities failed to address questions on fighter jets, allowing a flood of speculation. We know what ensued subsequently.
PC: LinkedIn
- Mind you, in a connected world, when a high-value news hits headlines, we can’t control the narrative. Authorities couldn’t avoid the question when some of India’s military seniors spoke of the issue weeks later. Nonetheless, when the issue at stake is civil aviation security, every word, every phrase, will be weighed and measured even more. Had communication on AAIB’s preliminary report been weighty and substantial, instead of providing trailers and having media turn to sources, it would’ve killed the opportunity for possibly tendentious briefings. There’s no point crying about misreporting when the fault lies with the initial inadequate press briefing. The government authorities should make immediate amends to address this without further delay.
