Wed, Jun 01, 2016 page8

• EDITORIAL: Cabinet spokesperson’s trial by fire

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  Being a government spokesperson is not easy. They are expected to be omniscient, aware of everything that happens anywhere, whether in Taiwan or overseas. They are expected to have their ears to the ground, listening for what is being said in the government, the media and the public. They are expected to be as ready as Google with an apposite response to any question thrown. They are the 7-11 of the government apparatus: Open for business 24-seven, every day of the year. They also need to know how to make themselves invisible — when they make headlines themselves, they have failed.

  For example of what not to do, take Executive Yuan spokesperson Tung Chen-yuan (童振源). Before President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration took office, Tung was giving daily news conferences, relaying the incoming administration’s policy ideas and stances. This was something rarely seen before or during the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). The contrast was striking.

  However, barely 10 days into the new administration, Tung is already making headlines even though his role is to make sure political fires do not start; not light them.

  Over the weekend, Tung said: “To avoid [media outlets] from making a scoop, to lower my workload and maintain my quality of life, I will no longer answer queries from media outlets individually.”

  This was met with uproar from media outlets, and pan-blue camp legislators, naturally, also stuck their knives in. In the interests of damage control, the government quickly stepped in, and Tung had made an apology before 24 hours were up.

  Tung hails from the hallowed halls of academia. He has no previous experience in working on the public relations side of politics, and did not know what to expect of the job, how the media works or what the media environment is like. He did not know that news these days must be reported in real time, nor did he understand the pressure that journalists are under to secure a scoop when he said that in the interests of fairness journalists could submit their questions through the Line app group set up for the media. He has no idea about the nature of competition among journalists.

  His announcement was as unreasonable as if the government had announced that legislators should submit any questions for vetting prior to asking them.

  Tung should make use of government officials more experienced in handling the media, or seek out experienced media professionals to help him learn his new role.

  Then there was the part about reducing his workload and maintaining his quality of life. The spokesperson’s office should be looking into how staff members’ workloads are allocated, and delegating tasks and drawing up schedules accordingly so that they do not feel snowed under. That said, it would be best if changes affecting how he interacts with the media were first run by the media itself before they are implemented, to prevent this person who is supposed to be dampening potential fires from lighting the kindling again.

  The most important part of Tung’s job is to assist journalists in obtaining accurate and up-to-date information so that they can then relay it to the public. He has to understand the expectations that society has of the government, and the demands that the media places on it.

  As they say, if you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Tung should have known that the pressure would be considerable, and that his life would no longer be his own. While Tung is new to government work and deserves a certain amount of slack, he had better get himself together soon. The public’s patience for missteps and communication is wearing very thin.
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