XN000022-1983-12-05 — Page 5

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1983

GIS BRINGS OUT THE FACTS

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TSAO

THE CHIEF TASK OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES IS +ESSENTIALLY TO BRING OUT THE FACTS AND LET THEM SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES+.

THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER TSAO, SAID TODAY, +WE BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE CREDITED WITH ENOUGH INTELLIGENCE TO DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS.+

SPEAKING ON THE ROLE OF HIS DEPARTMENT, AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF TSIM SHA TSUI EAST ROTARY CLUB, MR TSAO SAID THAT IN HIS EXPERIENCE THE PUBLIC GENERALLY BELIEVED WHAT THEY READ IN THE NEWS COLUMNS, IN PREFERENCE TO WHAT THEY SAW IN THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

FOR THIS REASON, THE BULK OF HIS DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS, BOTH HERE IN HONG KONG AND OVERSEAS, WENT INTO SUPPLYING INFORMATION DIRECT TO THE NEWSPAPERS AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.

GIS COUNTED ON THESE PROFESSIONALS TO CONVEY THE FACTS ON HONG KONG TO THEIR READERS AND VIEWERS.

IN DEFINING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUBLICITY AND PROPAGANDA, MR TSAO SAID LET ME SIMPLY PARAPHRASE THOSE FAMOUS WORDS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.+

+YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FOOL ANY OF THE JOURNALISTS ANY OF THE TIME.

+IN SHORT, IF WE IN GIS CAN GET THE PRESS TO PRINT THE INFORMATION WE ́ PRODUCE – WHICH IS THE REAL BRUNT OF OUR EFFORT BOTH HERE AND OVERSEAS WE CAN'T BE DOING TOO BAD A JOB.+

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TURNING TO THE WORK OF GIS' PUBLICITY DIVISION, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS THE THIRD ARM' OF HIS DEPARTMENT, MR TSAO POINTED OUT THAT ITS 'PRODUCT' WAS KNOWN TO ALL IN SOME FORM OR OTHER +EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT BE CONSCIOUS OF ITS SOURCE.-

THIS WAS ONE AREA OF GIS' ACTIVITIES THAT, BY VIRTUE OF THE MORE SUBTLE, LONG TERM MESSAGES TO BE CONVEYED, DEPENDED HEAVILY UPON ADVERTISING.

FOR EXAMPLE, FEW PEOPLE REALISED THAT GIS RANKED AS THE BIGGEST ADVERTISING AGENCY IN HONG KONG, HANDLING THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS.

THIS DISTINCTION HAD ARISEN BECAUSE OF THE STRIKING PROGRESS MADE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ON MATTERS OF CIVIC IMPORTANCE.

MOST PEOPLE WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE VARIOUS PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS ON CRIME AND NARCOTICS PREVENTION, ROAD SAFETY, FIRE PREVENTION AND THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN.

WHAT THEY MAY NOT REALISE WAS THAT ALL OF THESE CAMPAIGNS WERE PLANNED AND EXECUTED 'IN HOUSE'- A PHRASE WHICH MEANT THAT GIS DID ALL THE WORK WITHIN ITS OWN RESOURCES.

/ITS BUDGETS