LCQ7: Dissemination of government information
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Question:
The Government has pointed out that, an important aspect of governance is effective dissemination of government information, so that the public can better and more quickly understand the policies of the Government and the latest situation. However, many members of the public consider that the contents of Government press releases are too technical and not easily communicated to the public, failing to draw the attention of society effectively or allay public concerns promptly. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the Information Services Department (ISD) has reviewed and adjusted the arrangements for disseminating government information; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether it has considered allocating more resources to develop government accounts and dedicated pages on social media platforms; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether it has considered collaborating with local professional public relations institutions with rich experience to improve ISD's existing mechanism for disseminating government information; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
My consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Yim Kong is as follows:
The HKSAR Government has been releasing information to the public in accordance with the principles of openness, transparency, accuracy and efficiency, so that members of the public can receive accurate information from the government as early as possible. The issuance of press releases is one of the many ways to disseminate government information. In general, press releases are drafted and approved by policy bureaux, departments and their respective press office (composed of staff from the Information Services Department (ISD)), and then disseminated to all registered media organisations via the Government News and Media Information System. The purpose of issuing press releases is to let the media clearly understand the details of government policies, measures and activities etc., and inform the public through the media. The government will also hold press conferences and briefings, use online and social media platforms, as well as TV and radio Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs) etc. to convey the relevant information.
Press releases are comprehensive and precise and usually as succinct as possible. A small number of press releases involve more complicated issues, and sometimes it is inevitable to include some proper nouns or technical terms in full, and list out major data, scientific rationale, legal basis and background information in details to facilitate the media to select relevant content for more detailed and multiple-angle reporting. Through media reports, members of the public can understand the background, considerations, implementation details of government policies and impact on society and the public in a more accurate and comprehensive way with a view to gaining the support and co-operation of the public and improving the effectiveness of governance.
In order to extend the reach of government information to the public, policy bureaux or departments generally also disseminate their information through other channels, such as social media platforms or arrange media interviews for officials etc. Taking anti-epidemic information as an example, in addition to press releases, the government has been using a large number of different social media platforms, short videos, APIs, expert interviews, promotional activities etc. to drive home relevant information comprehensively.
Regarding the use of social media platforms to disseminate government information, the ISD has been keeping abreast of market developments and world trends, and using different communication platforms to disseminate government information. In addition to traditional media, the ISD's news website "news.gov.hk" rewrites and packages important government press releases and events in simple and easy-to-understand text, supplemented by pictures or short videos, to convey government information in a vivid way. Apart from providing government news and information, "news.gov.hk" also produces photo albums on some important events or large-scale activities, and select interesting or positive topics for writing feature stories.
In view of the latest development of social media, the ISD has opened a series of social media accounts, including "news.gov.hk" Facebook, "Tamar Talk" Facebook, "Brand HK" Facebook, Instagram and WeChat for "news.gov.hk", Weibo, Twitter, ISD YouTube channel, LinkedIn and Youku accounts. By using simple text, informative charts, news clips, vivid short videos and animations, as well as photo albums etc., these social media channels convey government messages and information to audience within and outside Hong Kong.
In addition, the secretaries of departments, directors of bureaux and government departments have also strengthened the use of the Internet and social media to explain and publicise government policies, such as publishing blogs and producing different types of short videos for broadcast on multiple platforms, to disseminate information to the public directly. Policy bureaux, the ISD and other departments may also hire professional public relations companies to assist in publicity work and information dissemination according to their operational need.
The government will make effective use of these established platforms and continue to monitor market developments and world trends. We will also make good use of different communication platforms and channels to step up publicising government policies and disseminating information effectively.
Ends/Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Issued at HKT 11:25
Issued at HKT 11:25
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