I can confidently say that there is no country in the world that has carried out as many national campaigns as we did. This is because not a single day passes without one or more campaign being launched. I am not talking here about specialized campaigns such as anti-drug or traffic awareness drives rather I mean those campaigns that pertain to education or national loyalty.
In my opinion, the sense of belonging, loyalty and patriotism cannot be increased or decreased. These things are not subject to rules of the stock market. They are just like sovereignty. One cannot say that such and such country is 99% sovereign, because the remaining 1% overrules the concept of sovereignty altogether. We can say the same about loyalty.
I also believe that these national campaigns have failed in achieving their goals because of lack of preparation, management and implementation. Undoubtedly, mottos and slogans of these campaigns are attractive and appealing, but the way of implementation is disappointing. Instead of achieving the goals, the organizers seem to be complacent even with minimum results.
Not only this, when they opt to use the social media for such campaigns, they are shy. The problem doesn't end here because our official information system is also absent from the scene.
The shortcomings may be the fault of the implementing agencies behind these campaigns.
To be specific, consider the audio-visual media. Perhaps, the biggest national campaign we are launching now is the one relating to our war against terrorism and our enemies. Watching their news coverage, we can easily discover that our radio and TV stations are no more different from any foreign satellite station. They look as if they are indifferent to what is happening around us.
Professional news reporting doesn't mean having interviews with some so-called analysts and transmitting some images, video clips and patriotic songs because this is part and parcel of the day-to-day activities of the TV and radio stations.
What these stations are supposed to do is to start thinking outside the box. Their reporters should leave their offices and go out for direct and live coverage of events on the ground. The official media management should seek partnership with all bodies and parties that organize such campaigns and consult with them so that they together make such campaigns successful.
What is unique about our beloved country is that it has been a victim of negative propaganda by part of the international media, but time and events have subsequently proved that all allegations were baseless and fabricated. Unfortunately, our official media has not been able to take advantage of the Kingdom's vindication in almost all cases, maybe because they are unable to keep up with the fast changing events and developments.
When we fail to play our role effectively, it is obvious that others will take advantage. We need renovation and a pro-active strategy. We should benefit from other countries' experiences because that is how every country marches ahead. A thousand miles' journey also starts with the first step.
