Piaras Kelly PR – Public Relations in Ireland

Too bad that all the people who really know how to run the country are busy driving taxi cabs and cutting hair. – George Burns

Andrew Marr, the ex-BBC political editor, thinks that British politicians suffer from a “fundamental lack of professionalism” when it comes to communicating with voters.

He pointed out that they lacked public speaking skills and their lack of knowledge about the importance of the media, saying that ‘many politicians did not think TV mattered.’

The BBC piece is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the title says that he criticises them for their lack of PR skills. I think that MPs (or TDs here in Ireland) should get media training in order to present themselves better, but many voters are uncomfortable when how much politicians spend on things like this are revealed. For example, a front page story in the Irish Independent, Ireland’s leading paper, criticised Bertie Ahern for how much he spent on make-up.

So it’s stupid that the media go out to pick holes in politicians spending cash on PR, media training or preparation for TV, when they acknowledge that it improves their communication with voters.

The second interesting point that came out for it for me is that politicians in this day and age should be turning to the Internet in their droves. I’ve discussed it before, but the Internet is starting to come on a par with TV. While it might not be as emotional, it’s an instant communications platform that can allow them to immediately pass comment or even clarify their position following a media interview. As the Internet develops we’ll see video blogging emerge also. Podcasting is currently in full flow and offers a medium to politicians to make a personal connection with their constituents.

So if politicians are going to improve their communications skills they should examine all mediums of communication. More importantly, the media are going to have to fulfill their half of the bargain and report on politics responsibly.

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