A new electronic system that will allow journalists to speak to relevant government spokesmen is to be trialed during Ramadan, said Abdul Aziz Al-Mulhim, assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Culture and Information.
“The ministry is in the process of identifying bodies and quasi-government agencies that have not yet appointed official spokespersons,” said Al-Mulhim, adding that all ministries have responded to a Cabinet decision supporting the move.
According to him, an electronic system will smoothly facilitate interaction between the media and the relevant government agencies.
“Media institutions will declare who their correspondents are to allow them to communicate with spokesmen,” Al-Mulhim said, adding that all relevant bodies and institutions will check their websites to answer questions and inquiries.
“This way, the process will be more transparent and reliable,” he said. “We hope to be notified of situations where bodies or institutions do not answer inquiries. Sometimes, this may happen due to a technical glitch.”
Al-Mulhim said his ministry is ready to respond to the media.
“All ministries have appointed spokesmen and this will soon be followed by other bodies and quasi-government agencies that are without spokespersons,” he said.
“Delivering accurate and true information to citizens is the main goal of appointing official spokesmen,” he said. However, he expressed displeasure when some media institutions designate certain journalists to communicate with government bodies without the knowledge of these bodies. “Sometimes journalists ask too many questions without identifying themselves. This is not professionalism.”
The Cabinet earlier issued a binding decision on all ministries and government agencies to appoint official spokesmen. According to the decision, spokesmen are tasked with informing the media about the latest decisions and reports, and respond to questions and inquiries from journalists.
