Government servants and public officers are used to writing reports and approval papers for their own authority and agencies. But when it comes to writing for an external organisation, particularly an adversarial media, they are either caught unaware or fumbled.
There are statements to make, and confidentiality to keep – striking the right balance will ensure that the interests of both newsmakers and news media are safeguarded.
There are also preparations to be made, in terms of the resources to be made available and in what amount.
Let veteran editor DR SUNNY GOH show you the ropes in media management and reporter handling. As a trainer under the School of Journalism, subsequently Editorial Support Unit, in the Singapore Press Holdings, he has shown thousands of journalists and media relations officers how to go about the business professionally – and successfully.
Dr Sunny Goh is a Trainer of Trainers (TOT) and has taught many writing coaches to teach writing programmes he has designed for government servants and private sector officers. He was head of the International directorate in Mindef’s Defence Policy Office, where he has written Cab Memos, budget papers and presented Singapore’s position at international fora. He was a member of the SAF Scholars Selection Board and chairman of a university’s Resource Panel.
He was also a Desk Editor at The Straits Times, where he taught reporting and interviewing skills at its School of Journalism. In all, his participants had included CEOs, professors, staff writers, technical specialists, undergraduates and students. It doesn’t matter how high a participant’s work status may be – all that mattered is a penchant for learning.
As a volunteer, he was a Mediator with the Ministry of Law, a Council Member of the Singapore Red Cross Society and writes regularly for the local and regional media.
