CONFIDENTIAL
6
27.
The department would contribute those staff already engaged on what amounts to publicity work and also one of their administrators who would take at least part-time responsibility for public information and publicity work. Depending on the size of the task it might be necessary to hold a second information officer, equivalent to the present S.I.0., to undertake publicity side of the work.
28.
.
This would mean, for these seven departments two information officers (1 P.1.0., 1 S.1.0.) one of the department's own senior staff and whatever of its staff were already engaged in such dutics Leaving aside the Police Force for which an establishment has already been proposed and which involves the return to his duties there if one of the S.I.0.'s presently in the press room) so the proposal calls for 7 P.I.0.'s and 7 S.1.0.'s against the present Press room staff of one P.1.0. and one S.1.0.
29.
Not only does this means more P.I.0.'s and S.1.0.'s than are presently available but it does not provide for the staffing of the central press room which will still be required for handling public information for the central government and for those departments which do not have their own public information and publicity units. Now does it account for the 6 Information Officers, 10 Assistant Information Officers Class I and 4 Information Officers Class II presently engaged on press duties. However many of these will in fact be required for the translation and other preparation processes in the release of information coming in from both the central and the departmental units. Some of them, but only a very few might merit consideration and posting as departmental information officers but it is more likely that they will have to be recognised as only suitable for mechanical duties. There is not much sign that any of them have the potential to act as responsible advisors on public information, capable of exercising any degree of judgment and initiative.
30.
Posts calling for men of that calibre will almost certainly have to be filled largely from abroad. Although the department has filled one Principal Information Officer post in the press room by pro- motion the prospects for repeating the process are poor and all other appointments to their class, although admittedly in specialist fields, have been made from overseas.
51.
In the S.1.0. class repeated recruitment exercises have been disappointing. In view of the fact that a very long experience in newspaper journalism has been the basic required qualification, and that candidates have been sought locally among the ranks of a very poorly staffed profession this is not surprising.
32.
It would seem sensible to recognise this state of affairs by, on the one hand widening the qualifications so as to attract graduates with commercial or other administrative experience and on the other hand to be prepared to face reality by seeking half the necessary personnel abroad.
/on
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