Government committed to media responses

Government has, in a statement on Tuesday, said it noted concerns about non-responsiveness or late responses from government communicators to media queries. This follows a media article published by BusinessTech on Monday, where they reached out to all government ministries for comment via email and only received a 37.5% response rate. 'The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) as the custodian of sound relations between government and media is committed to continuous improved relations with various media houses, journalists and media bodies such as the South African National Editors Forum, (SANEF), Association of Independent Publishers (AIP), National Community Radio Forum ( NCRF) and the Press Council,' said the GCIS. It said the concerns raised by various stakeholders on the non-responsiveness or late responding to media queries have been taken seriously and engagements have been held to ensure a harmonious environment. '…However this work continues as often communicators and media li aison officers move between different organisations, thus leading to a possible lapse of communication during transitioning of personnel. 'The GCIS is committed to addressing this challenge by ensuring that all communicators are oriented and au fait with good media relations practices as outlined in the government communications policy approved by cabinet in 2018,' the organisation said. It urged media who experience challenges with media queries to contact its media engagement officials who will assist in ensuring that communicators are responding timeously with reasonable engagement between them and the journalists about deadlines and adequate responses. Source: South African Government News Agency