US embassy cable - 04AMMAN5475

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005475 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IIP/T/GIC FOR JENIFER BOCHNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, JO 
SUBJECT: SPEAKER EVALUATION: GOJ SPOKESPERSON TRAINING 
 
 
 1.  Summary:  PA Amman sponsored a three-day training course 
for newly-appointed Government of Jordan spokespersons led by 
IIP-arragned media expert and author Margueritte Sullivan 
June 7-9.  Twenty-two spokespersons took part in the 
training, representing the Jordanian Ministries of Justice, 
Foreign Affairs, Transportation, Culture, Health and 
Interior, as well as the Public Security Directorate and the 
Royal Diwan.  The training was arranged with the GOJ to 
coincide with its own attempts to decentralize government 
communication with the public by empowering spokespersons at 
government Ministries and Departments.  The hands-on and 
exercise-intensive workshop was extremely successful both in 
building skills among the spokespersons, but also in building 
important relationships with key future contacts.  Ms. 
Sullivan is to be commended for a well-planned, but flexible 
approach.  Her technique, material and manner received high 
praise from the participants.  End Summary. 
 
2.  Description of Activity:  PA Amman approached the 
Government of Jordan in early 2004 about providing assistance 
to the GOJ's announced effort to decentralize government 
communication with the public by appointing government 
spokespersons at each government ministry and department.  We 
offered to fund a training workshop built around the 
IIP-published text, "Running a Responsible Press Office," 
which had recently been offered in Arabic, to be led by its 
author, Margueritte Sullivan.  The government assembled 
twenty-two recently appointed spokespersons and press 
officers representing Ministries throughout the government. 
The training consisted of sessions on the role of a 
spokesperson within a government department; techniques for 
dealing with the media; planning press events; crisis 
communications; and carrying out media campaigns.  GOJ 
Official Spokesperson (with cabinet rank) Asma Khader 
endorsed the workshop and attended its final session.  All 
sessions were conducted with consecutive interpretation. 
 
3.  Dates:  June 7-9, 2004 
 
4.  Justification and objective:  The GOJ suffers -- self 
admittedly -- from a lack of credibility in dealing with the 
public.  As one means of addressing this problem, the 
government abolished the Ministry of Information and the 
system of centralized communication with the press and public 
and allowed the formation of press and media offices at each 
government ministry and department.  The Secretary General of 
the newly-established "Jordan Information Center" approached 
PA Amman for advice and assistance in training future 
spokespersons and media officers. 
 
5.  MPP Objective and audience reached:  The activity is in 
keeping with the Embassy's MPP objective to encourage good 
governance and greater transparency.  Audience was a select 
group of government officials key to the government's future 
success in public communication and media relations. 
 
6.  Result/Impact:  Through lectures, spot exercises and 
considerable audience feedback, the workshop leader engaged 
the participants in an intensive and interactive discussion 
of basic media-relations concepts which the participants 
rated as excellent.  Many had not yet received any form of 
training for the roles they have been appointed to assume. 
The subject matter sparked important discussion on the 
importance of honesty and forthrightness in representing the 
government before the media and public, and the need to work 
at making government information intelligible and interesting 
to the public.  Participants were particularly interested in 
techniques for dealing with independent Arab satellite TV 
news outlets and western media outlets, who challenge 
governments in the region to communicate effectively and 
convincingly.  Many participants commented that local media 
outlets remain highly-controlled by the government and thus 
encourage complacency among government communications 
officers.  The GOJ has already approached post about 
repeating this program for other media officers and to 
provide follow-up training to the graduates of this program. 
 
7.  Material Developed by Post:  Post formatted the Arabic 
translation of "Running a Responsible Press Office" into 
bound book form for use as a course text book.  Post also 
translated power point slides prepared by Ms. Sullivan into 
Arabic, which were also provided to the participants.  Post 
distributed other IIP Arabic language materials related to a 
free media and government transparency to the participants. 
 
8. Quality of U.S. Support and IIP offices involved: 
Excellent support from IIP, particularly Jenifer Bochner in 
coordinating with Ms. Sullivan several months in advance on a 
schedule that changed numerous times.  Thanks also to all in 
IIP responsible for publishing Ms. Sullivan's book and making 
it available in an Arabic translation. 
 
 
GNEHM