Abstract: In the era of full media communication with high integration of media, government image shaping as a routine communication and management allows governance philosophy to circulate, enabling citizens to participate in social management under the premise of being informed. This article starts from the perspective of government image shaping and interprets public opinion guidance strategies under crisis events.
Keywords: Full Media, Government Image, Public Sentiment Crisis
"Full Media," as a brand-new communication practice, has a cross-media reporting system that integrates newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet, telecommunications, and various other communication tools. It enables ultra-rapid information transmission, covering all human senses needed for receiving information, including visual, auditory, and tactile. Audiences from different classes and preferences can choose suitable media to receive information and provide feedback at any time, thereby achieving maximized communication effects. In such an era where "everyone is a media outlet," and within the context of highly integrated full media, how the Chinese government can better showcase its own image while properly handling public sentiment crises is a new challenge facing the government.
1. Government Image Shaping
Government image shaping should be a form of routine communication and management. Through this communication and dissemination, the government's governance philosophy can circulate, allowing citizens to participate in social affairs management under the premise of being informed. It also promotes public management department decisions in ways that are easily acceptable to the public, better establishing an open and pragmatic governance image of the government.
1.1 Insisting on Information Disclosure, Timely Releasing News
The 17th National Congress report clearly proposed "to legally guarantee people's rights to know, participate, express, and supervise," among which the right to know was placed first. Currently, nearly 90 departments and institutions, including various State Council departments, the National People's Congress, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Procuratorate, as well as the governments of 31 provinces (regions, municipalities), have established spokespersons. Regarding the construction of party committee spokesperson systems, 13 central party departments (units), 31 provinces (regions, municipalities), planned single-listed cities, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and most provincial capital city committees have established spokesperson systems and designated spokespersons. Through information disclosure and spokesperson systems, the government can incorporate publicity into news, allowing media to be "utilized," controlling information through providing it, and enhancing its image by offering services.
1.2 Tracking and Analyzing Public Sentiment, Establishing Early Warning Mechanisms
The government not only needs to release information but must also continuously pay attention to various social hot events and sensitive topics, comprehensively tracking and understanding public sentiment to scientifically formulate and timely adjust public policies. This requires government departments to possess rapid and precise public sentiment collection and judgment capabilities. At the same time, it demands that public sentiment monitoring personnel always maintain a sense of crisis, cultivating a full media way of thinking, quickly screening and evaluating information that may cause harm, and developing communication strategies for early warning and prevention.
1.3 Actively Setting Agendas, Effectively Guiding Public Opinion
Media news reporting and information dissemination activities influence people's judgments on major events around them and their importance by assigning varying degrees of prominence to different "issues." As public affairs management institutions, government decisions and actions significantly impact the daily lives of the public, making them the largest and most indispensable authoritative information source for media. The arrival of the full media era has intensified competition among media outlets, increasing their dependence on government as a regular information resource. Therefore, the government should fully utilize this resource advantage, actively setting agendas to meet the public's information needs and right to know; guiding public opinion and directing public attention and focus towards specific directions.
1.4 Correctly Recognizing Media, Accepting Public Supervision
Government departments need to enhance their ability to deal with the media, fully leveraging the positive role of media in gathering strength and promoting work. On one hand, the government’s governance philosophy needs to be conveyed to the public through the media; on the other hand, the media represents the public in supervising and promoting government work, serving as an important channel for conveying public sentiments and integrating different needs. Therefore, correctly recognizing the status, functions, and roles of the media and maintaining good media relations are key to successfully shaping the government's image.
2. Crisis Response Strategies
The "People's Republic of China Emergency Response Law" came into effect on November 1, 2007, requiring that after a sudden public event occurs, while initiating emergency response mechanisms, news release work must be promptly started. A dedicated news release agency should be set up under the command center responsible for handling the event, with designated personnel in charge of news release work.
2.1 Abandoning Silence, Facing Public Sentiment Crises Directly
In August 2011, nearly 30 migrant worker children schools in a certain city were forced to close due to various safety hazards, affecting nearly ten thousand migrant worker children. When the media went to interview relevant district education commissions, they did not receive timely clear answers, leading to public uproar. In fact, the municipal education commission had required related districts to fully handle student redistribution and placement since the initial closure of these schools. The Haidian District alone held multiple special meetings convened by the district mayor to study and implement this work. Although the education department did much work, when faced with a public sentiment crisis, they chose "only doing without speaking," proactively giving up their voice, creating an information vacuum that led public opinion to overwhelmingly criticize the government for ignoring the equal education rights of migrant worker children, causing significant damage to the government's image.
2.2 Reacting in the First Instance, Seizing the Best Opportunity
On September 25, 2009, an explosion occurred at a Xinjiang restaurant in Xicheng District, Beijing, injuring three employees and some passersby. Given the timing shortly after the July 5 violent criminal incident in Xinjiang, it was easy to associate the two. The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau immediately organized rescue efforts and conducted investigations, promptly informing the media that the accident was caused by improper operation by staff, leading to the ignition of liquefied gas tanks. After the media reported this message, public speculation and discussion quickly subsided. Thus, in dealing with public sentiment crises, it is crucial to react swiftly and take the lead. If delayed, once a particular trend becomes mainstream, changing public opinion under the "spiral of silence" effect becomes very difficult.
2.3 Courageously Taking Responsibility, Promptly Rectifying Mistakes
On June 16, 2011, the Huili County government website of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, posted a news photo showing county leaders inspecting newly constructed roads. In the photo, three leaders appeared to "float" above the road, with obvious signs of image compositing. On June 26, netizens exposed and humorously referred to it as the "floating inspection photo," sparking heated online discussions. On the evening of June 27, the Huili County government quickly opened a certified Weibo account on Sina, publicly admitting that the published photo was a result of staff error involving image splicing. The involved parties also issued apology letters and posted original images of the leaders’ inspection site, stating that the leaders indeed inspected the site but handled the images due to poor quality. Their swift reaction and sincere attitude immediately gained public understanding. Not only did Huili County's government image remain unscathed, but it also increased its social awareness.
Facing crises, some government departments react slowly and inadequately, unwilling to face the responsibilities they must bear after the truth comes out, leading to escalating crises. However, Huili County's approach serves as a typical example of successful resolution of public sentiment crises under the context of full media. As social affair management departments and public policy makers, governments must have the courage to admit mistakes, not only correct them but do so sincerely, genuinely, and satisfactorily to the public, improving themselves through corrections and raising their standards. Only by bravely acknowledging errors and sincerely rectifying mistakes can they gain public forgiveness and avoid more passive situations in the future.
2.4 Upholding Independent Thinking, Avoiding Public Opinion Manipulation
For instance, the new interpretation of the Marriage Law released on August 13, 2011, triggered a wave of adding names to pre-marital properties. Tax authorities in Nanjing, Wuhan, and other places claimed that pre-marital properties belong to personal assets, and if names were added, it meant a change in property ownership, constituting property transfer, thus subject to deed tax. After facing public doubts, the tax authorities responded that whether to collect the "name-adding tax" was undecided. For a period, the public debated intensely about the "name-adding tax," with local tax authorities holding differing opinions. It wasn't until September 1, when the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation issued policies exempting the "name-adding tax," that the storm finally settled.
When public sentiment crises occur, the government should maintain independent thinking amidst "various voices," focusing on the common interests of a broader audience. They should not hastily make irrational decisions under media pressure, resulting in contradictory and inconsistent public policies, ultimately losing the government's credibility. Only by standing at the height of "people-orientedness," adhering to the concept of "governing for the people," truly caring about public hardships, carefully listening to public opinions, and ensuring independent thinking and scientific decision-making, can the government truly resolve crises and ultimately win public trust and understanding.
In summary, whether long-term strategic planning or short-term public relations behaviors, government image shaping and public sentiment crisis responses cannot rely solely on various tactical strategies to push government work towards a positive direction. Such results would merely be superficial, treating symptoms rather than root causes. To truly establish a good image of governing for the people, governments at all levels need to actively accept media and public supervision, courageously shoulder social responsibilities, and earnestly ensure "power used for the people, feelings tied to the people, and benefits plotted for the people."
(Reference: Deputy Director of the Haidian District News Center, Beijing)
References:
[1] Zhou Yang. Building Core Competitiveness in the Era of Full Media [J]. News Vanguard, 2009(11).
[2] Peng Lan. Four Key Changes in the Direction of Media Convergence [J]. Youth Journalist, 2009(2).
[3] Guo Qingguang. Communication Studies [M]. Beijing: Renmin University of China Press, 1999:214.
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