COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA
Public Relations Division
The division oversees the work of information units in various government departments and bureaux. It anticipates, monitors and advises these units in the formulation and development of public relations strategies and co-ordinates their efforts on complex issues to ensure consistency of purpose. It has responsibility for the overall management of information grade officers in the units and ensures effective deployment and utilisation of staff resources.
Excluding those attached to the overseas offices, more than 30 information units operate in government departments and bureaux. They work closely with ISD headquarters on information, public relations and publicity aspects of the work of departments or bureaux. These units play a major role in maintaining the flow of information and helping to improve relations with the public.
Publicity Division
The Publicity Division is responsible for government publications, promotional campaigns, creative and design work and government photography and advertisements. It organises about four major government campaigns and 50 general publicity programmes each year on such topics as environmental protection, crime prevention, safe working practices, AIDS awareness and prevention of drug abuse.
The division handles more than 7 000 separate titles and produces a wide variety of government publications, including the Hong Kong Annual Report. It distributes some eight million free copies of publications such as books, fact sheets, brochures, pamphlets, posters and government forms. Associated with this output, the division sells some 3.5 million copies of books, photographs and miscellaneous printed material annually.
The division also produces the Government Home Page, known as the Government Information Centre, which is accessible to millions of Internet users world wide.
Overseas Public Relations Division
The division formulates the government's overseas public relations strategy; co- ordinates all international publicity efforts, including major promotions and festivals in overseas countries with which Hong Kong has significant trading interests. It also monitors Hong Kong's image overseas, responds to requests from overseas journalists and provides information to Hong Kong's offices in other countries.
Its Overseas Public Relations Sub-Division co-ordinates the government's international publicity efforts. It produces and distributes promotional material world wide, including books, pamphlets and videos. The sub-division also runs a programme under which journalists are invited to visit Hong Kong to gain a better understanding of the place. It assists visiting journalists seeking information or interviews with government officials and business and community leaders; and maintains close liaison with some 160 news agencies and foreign correspondents based in Hong Kong.
The Overseas Projects Sub-division plans and implements major promotions and festivals abroad. The promotions aim to further strengthen the economic ties between Hong Kong and its major trading partners, and to promote Hong Kong as a leading international financial and services centre of the Asia Pacific Region and the pre- eminent gateway to China. Efforts are also devoted to publicising the tourism
307