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Communications, the Media and Information Technology
Local Public Relations Division
The division oversees the work of the Information Grade officers who serve as Press Secretaries to Principal Officials or work in the 34 information and public relations units in bureaux and departments. They help formulate and implement public relations and publicity strategies, advise their bureau or department heads on public relations matters, answer media enquiries and questions from the public, prepare press releases, and organise press conferences and special promotional activities.
The News Sub-division operates a 24-hour press enquiry service. During typhoons, major disasters and other emergencies, the ISD's Combined Information Centre co-ordinates responses to media enquiries and disseminates information and public announcements promptly.
The Government News and Media Information System channels press releases, photographs and video clips through a single system accessible to journalists on the internet.
All press releases are uploaded onto the internet at www.info.gov.hk/gia and major government press conferences and events, including the annual Policy Address by the Chief Executive and the Budget Speech by the Financial Secretary, are webcast live.
The Government's online news platform, news.gov.hk, presents news and information seven days a week in a dynamic multi-media fashion. News items and messages are also disseminated through smartphones, mobile devices and social media such as YouTube, Twitter and Sina Weibo. By the end of 2012, news.gov.hk had posted about 7,500 news and feature stories, with about 940 video highlights. Users may sign up for free daily news summaries and weekly City Life email alerts. The e-bulletin has about 12,000 subscribers, and attracted more than 22 million visitors and 570 million page views in 2012.
The Media Research Sub-division keeps the Government informed of public opinion expressed in the news media. It produces daily reports summarising news and editorial comments in the Chinese and English press as well as radio phone-in programmes. It also produces special reports on subjects of interest to the Government.
Publicity and Promotions Division
The division helps bureaux and departments mount publicity campaigns and related activities and is responsible for advertising, creative design, photography, videography and the production of many of the Government's publications. Local campaigns conducted or supported by the division during the year covered a wide range of subjects, including the 2012 Voter Registration campaign; the 2012 Legislative Council Election; the 15th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's (HKSAR) establishment; the visit of Mainland astronauts to Hong Kong; anti-drug efforts; fight crime; environmental protection; road safety and fire prevention.
The division also helps organise major promotional activities such as exhibitions, cultural performances, film festivals and media partnerships overseas and in the Mainland.
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