Liu Qibao, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, who is also head of the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department, attends a workshop for press spokesmen in Beijing, capital of China, March 28, 2016. [Photo by Jiao Fei]
Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, recently encouraged news spokespersons to make contributions to the country’s publicity affairs during a training class attended by spokespersons nationwide.
Liu made his remark by asking the participants to learn from the speech on the issues of news and publicity delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping in February, reiterating the importance of duties, courage, political sense, speech skills and relevant accountability.
Liu pointed out that on a spontaneous occasion, such as, news conferences, spokespersons cannot always ensure impeccable responses. Therefore, Liu asked the public to create a tolerant environment in which spokespersons can be bold and willing to speak in front of the media.
Since mistakes can always be rectified, higher-ranking officials and media outlets are advised to be magnanimous towards spokespersons who may offer one or two “wrong” points in their answers during the press conference, Liu said.
As the spokesperson has always been in the foremost position accentuated by the limelight of media outlets, they should be treated more easily in consideration of challenges, skepticism and blame as their job cannot only be greeted with flowers and accolades but also with criticism and sometimes groundless complaint, Liu added.
The spokespersons have, to some extent, a kind of storytelling job, Liu said. They should not simply answer questions with political jargon or refusals, such as "nothing to tell." They should convey their opinions skillfully through facts, cases and data, and speak in an amiable manner in an attempt to win high credit. The spokespersons should be able to convince the media with wonderful stories, Liu concluded.
