COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA
245
The News Division disseminates a multiplicity of government information through teleprinter and facsimile networks which are directly linked with leading newspapers, radio and television stations, and news agencies. The facsimile system enables GIS to transmit to the media both photographs and typed or printed messages, which is especially important for communicating in the Chinese language. Telex and international facsimile services enable government offices overseas to receive messages without delay and to communicate directly to the department and, through it, to the rest of the government. The News Divi- sion's 24-hour media enquiry service handles more than 20 000 questions every month.
During an emergency such as a typhoon, the newsroom becomes a co-ordination centre to distribute up-to-date information to the media, particularly the radio and television stations, to keep the public informed of developments. Apart from this mobilisation of both manpower and equipment in the newsroom, other staff man various key positions within the government's organisation for managing emergencies, contributing to the minute by minute flow of information.
The Public Relations Division has three sub-divisions: media research, departmental units and overseas. The media research sub-division keeps the government fully informed of public opinion as expressed in the information media. It produces the Gist, a daily news sheet in English which summarises news and editorial comment in the major Chinese- language papers, and the TV Gist, its counterpart for radio and television. It also produces Opinion, a weekly review of Chinese editorial comment, a weekly publication titled What the Magazines Say and special reports on subjects of particular interest to the government. During the year, the sub-division continued to pay special attention to media coverage about the future of Hong Kong.
The departmental units sub-division co-ordinates the operation of the 23 information and public relations units in government departments, plus another in the Secretariat. These units issue press releases, arrange press conferences and site visits and answer many media enquiries concerning the activities and aims of their respective departments. Through these efforts they play a major role in maintaining the flow of information and helping to improve relations with the public. The sub-division is also responsible for producing the Hong Kong News Digest, a fortnightly newspaper in Chinese which helps Hong Kong Chinese overseas to maintain contact with Hong Kong.
The overseas public relations sub-division (OPRS) co-ordinates the government's publicity efforts overseas and produces and distributes feature articles and newsclips for radio and television. Assistance is provided for visiting journalists requiring information and interviews with government officers, and a close liaison is maintained with news agencies and overseas journalists based in Hong Kong. In 1984, the unit assisted 420 overseas journalists and 140 other visitors, and distributed 60 features, 40 taped stories for radio, and 80 video items for TV.
The Publicity Division embraces the creative, publishing and promotional resources of the department. Its ambit includes photography and film-making, an extensive photo- graphic library, the staging of exhibitions, the design of books, leaflets and posters, publishing activities, the design and placement of all government advertising and in-service training for GIS staff.
GIS produces a wide variety of publications ranging from leaflets and fact sheets to the Hong Kong Annual Report – which is the best-selling hardback book in the territory – and other full-colour books. But the publication most in demand in 1984 was the White Paper setting out the Draft Agreement on the Future of Hong Kong. More than two million copies were distributed within the first 10 days. Sales of government publications rose by