Getting over the seven-year itch
- By Zhang Yuke
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China.org.cn, August 24, 2011
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Wang Yongping bows to a journalist who survived the July bullet train crash at a press conference on July 24. |
On August 16, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) announced that former ministry spokesman Wang Yongping had been removed from his posts as the spokesman for the MOR and the director of its publicity office, largely due to fallout from the July bullet train crash in Wenzhou which killed 35 people and injured many others.
Despite the seriousness of the Wenzhou tragedy, we should not discount Wang's achievements during his eight years as spokesman for the MOR. Wang was one of the most active and experienced spokesmen in the central government. In an online discussion with netizens during a people.com.cn forum in January 2011, Wang boldly said that public criticism of the railway ministry's management of the Spring Festival travel period was "deserved." "Criticism from public opinion helps us to do our jobs better," Wang said during the discussion. Such frankness was indeed characteristic of Wang's tenure as the ministry's spokesman.
When facing media inquiries during an emergency, it is brave for a spokesman who is short of information to face the public honestly. As for his performance at the press conference after the Wenzhou crash, Wang admittedly felt he should have been calmer and more forthcoming. "Just thinking about those who had lost their lives or were injured in this accident and their families, what I've faced is nothing," Wang said.
It is undeniable that being a spokesman is a risky job, especially in times of crisis where people are upset and looking for someone to blame. An emotional public can be hypercritical to a spokesmen's context, words, emotional expressions, and manners. If he doesn't speak carefully, spokesmen can turn small details into immensely controversial items. Thus, the job of an official spokesman carries an enormous amount of responsibility. The public expects that spokesmen will exert professionalism, as well as a desire for information transparency and social justice. Experienced and talented spokesman can play an important role in communications between government and citizens, reduce opposition to positions or policies, eliminate misunderstandings, and build consensus.
Since the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic in 2003, the Chinese government has established a press release system for public communications. By the end of 2004, the Information Office of the State Council published the contact information of 75 spokesmen of various ministries and departments. The challenge for the system now will be to get over its "seven year' itch" and remove the restricting factors in the system, promote information transparency and better respond to public concerns.
(This article was published in Chinese and translated by Li Shen.)
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
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