2-Day Skill Development Workshop for PROs Held In Chhattisgarh

The Joint Secretary to the Chief Minister and Commissioner of the Public Relations Department, Dr Ravi Mittal, said that public relations officers should develop exclusive stories and use all media platforms extensively for their wider dissemination. He added that officers whose stories are published at the national and state levels will be encouraged and honored as an incentive.

Dr Mittal was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day state-level skill enhancement workshop for public relations officers on the theme “New Challenges in Public Relations”, organized at the Samvad Auditorium in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh with the objective of strengthening professional competencies.

He said that the modes of information dissemination and public communication are rapidly changing. With the advent of new technologies, public relations officers can use these tools to make their work more authentic, efficient, and time-bound. Emphasizing the importance of multi-platform communication, he said that along with print media, effective use of electronic, digital, and social media is essential to ensure that government decisions and initiatives reach the public. For this, officers must stay updated with emerging technologies. He also stressed providing internship opportunities to journalism students from schools and colleges in the Public Relations Department.

During the inaugural session, senior officers including Jawaharlal Dario, Sanjeev Tiwari, Umesh Mishra, and Alok Dev highlighted the role of clear, simple, and timely communication in public service. Participants were briefed on the structure and expectations of the two-day sessions. The officers noted that the objective of the workshop is to make public relations more empowered, modern, sensitive, and result-oriented through news writing, television engagement, and effective use of social media.

The first day of the workshop began with a session on “Reader-Friendly Writing: Making Government News Attractive”, guided by Shiv Dubey, Editor of Dainik Bhaskar. He provided insights into identifying key public-interest points from government orders and information, using simple and lucid language, and writing effective headlines and lead paragraphs. He also discussed the structure of press releases, appropriate use of quotations, and the need for balanced and timely communication with the media during crises.

In the second session, Vikalp Shukla, News Editor of Akashvani, explained the functioning of television media. He shared guidance on presenting government schemes and programs as visual stories, essential elements for TV coverage, taking concise on-camera bites, and the importance of fact sheets.

The third session focused on the use of social media and AI tools. Social media, digital marketing, and AI expert Rakesh Sahu guided participants on the effective use of AI-based digital tools for photo and video editing.

In the final session of the day, Lajpat Ahuja, former Director of the Directorate of Public Relations, Bhopal, shared practical tools related to the PR toolbox, stakeholder management, and emergency communication (crisis communication). Public relations officers from across the state actively participated in the workshop.

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