Several journalists in Andhra Pradesh are unhappy with the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. Not all of them expect personal favors, but they feel ignored.
Media managements are divided, with some supporting Jagan Mohan Reddy and others backing Chandrababu Naidu. This divide is evident, and news is prepared according to their political alignment. This divide cannot be undone.
However, with proper media relations, the Information and Public Relations Department could build a good relationship with journalists.
Unfortunately, the department has failed to reach out to journalists. From the commissioner to the APRO at the bottom, they seem to be relaxing in their office rooms.
The commissioner himself appears to be unaware of the public relations aspect of his job, coming from the Press Information Bureau, which has a poor track record of maintaining relationships with journalists.
It is alleged that the commissioner is busy making money from the government in the name of the media and shows no interest in building relationships with the media that benefit the government.
As the commissioner is preoccupied with non-PR work, so are the other officers in the department. No effort has been made to reach out to journalists for pro-government news and stories in the media.
Instead, officers in the department simply dump stories in the WhatsApp group without following up or engaging with journalists. The department is expected to liaise with journalists to promote positive reports about the government in the media.
However, in the last four years, there hasn't been a single occasion where the commissioner or other officers in the department reached out to journalists. On the contrary, journalists visiting the department often encounter an arrogant display of power from the officers.
This non-PR attitude and approach of the department are causing journalists to become frustrated and angry with the government.
