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On The Bird Wire

Pandemic measures during the Hajj

In a think piece “Ensuring Good Health During the Hajj in a Time of the H1N1 Pandemic”, Hornbills co-founder Sofiah Jamil – together with researchers at the RSIS Centre for NTS Studies – commented on the progress and prospects of H1N1 pandemic mitigation efforts in Saudi Arabia leading up to the annual Hajj pilgrimage in 2009.

The piece noted that despite the complex circumstances surrounding pandemic preparedness during the Hajj, successful mitigation of a pandemic spread is possible with efficient multi-sectoral cooperation amongst Hajj officials and pilgrims. Such efforts must also be given greater emphasis in the media so as to ensure accurate and holistic reporting of events thereby reduce the likelihood of media hypes of a pandemic outbreak.

To read the article, click here.

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On The Bird Wire

Public Affairs: The “Software” of Emerging Middle Powers

A recent article on MH 370 by Richard Cronin from the Stimson Center noted how emerging markets have the ‘trappings’ of a developed country but remain deficient in other critical elements of a modern industrial state”. The article refers to this deficiency as a lack of the ‘software’ needed to help these emerging markets to “smoothly escape the “middle income trap”. The article lists a slew of governance related “software” that these emerging middle powers lack.

In addition to good governance and good economic policies, it is also important that these countries have good communication strategies and policies to help them move from (what some might perceive as) propaganda to public diplomacy. This does not mean simply having a ‘media arm’ or a “corporate communications” department that purchases advertisement space in magazines, organise product and policy launches, and pitch lifestyle stories to the press. It might be worthwhile considering the ‘radical’ possibility of having and allowing the public affairs/ public relations head to be part of the senior management decision making process and in the boardroom—at the heart of the decision making modes.

These days of putting out a well written press release (dotting your ‘i’s and crossing your ‘t’s at the right places) are over. The Public Affairs/Public Relations department of any organisation needs to go beyond this superficiality. It has to incorporate the following three elements in its communications strategies:

  1. knowing the political, social and economic environment of that you are working in;
  2. a strong awareness of the weight of your words; and
  3. being aware of the importance of good visual and non-visual communication.

Emerging markets and emerging economies need to realise that good work will go unnoticed if it is not talked about—modestly (commonly seen as an Asian way of doing things). More importantly, getting the right people to hear about the good work is crucial.

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On The Bird Wire

Absurdity fuelling creativity

Amidst the tensions of the ardous search for MH 370, Bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin has provided much amusement to the world. Unfortunately, despite his magnanimous offer to assist in searching for plane via supernatural means, his efforts have, by and large, been an embarrasment for Malaysia in more ways than one. Aside from misinforming updates on the crisis, it has also created mis-representations of Islam and Muslims in Malaysia.

Despite the absurdity, a positive spin on the developments would be the immense level of creativity amongst social media users, who have made light of the situation with various memes, edited/remix videos of the coconut rituals, parody Facebook pages and even the creation of at least 40 Raja Bomoh smartphone apps!

As the saying goes, “If life throws you lemons, make lemonade!”