Continue to innovate and improve the effectiveness of oral communication.

(Baonghean) - Yen Thanh has focused on innovating the content and methods of propaganda in a way that is targeted, relevant to the audience, concise, easy to understand, and uses a variety of diverse and rich forms.

Recently, the Propaganda Department of the Yen Thanh District Party Committee was one of seven collectives awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the Provincial Party Committee after summarizing 10 years of implementing Directive 17 CT/TW dated October 15, 2007, of the Central Party Secretariat (10th term) "on continuing to innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of oral propaganda work in the new situation".

Nghe An Newspaper interviewed Mr. Nguyen Khac De, Head of the Propaganda Department of Yen Thanh District Party Committee, about this matter.

PV:Could you please tell us how oral propaganda work has been implemented in Yen Thanh over the past years?

Mr. Nguyen Khac De:We have focused on innovating the content and methods of propaganda, making it targeted, concise, easy to understand, and presented in diverse and rich forms. Over the past 10 years, Yen Thanh has organized 180 speaker conferences with 378 topics and themes, attended by 32,850 speakers, propagandists, and key officials at the district level; 4,680 grassroots-level conferences with 711,360 cadres, Party members, and citizens participating; and integrated this into the teaching of 405 classes at the District Political Training Center with 40,122 students.

The briefing conference is held regularly once a month, with content closely following the direction of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department and the local political tasks, ensuring practicality, richness, relevance to each time period, and meeting the information needs of cadres and Party members, contributing to guiding public opinion and creating consensus among the people.

Leaders from Yen Thanh district and several localities visit the SRI rice cultivation model in Hau Thanh commune. Photo: Thai Hong.

The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee has decided to establish a district-level current affairs club that meets once a month. Currently, the district current affairs club has 63 members, mainly retired officials and elderly Party members throughout the district. In addition, some Party committees have established their own clubs and meet quite regularly, such as Xuan Thanh, Hung Thanh, Phuc Thanh, Ma Thanh…

During the implementation process, the district has adopted effective and innovative approaches such as incorporating information into the flag-raising ceremony of commune officials; compiling monthly written propaganda materials to be sent to branch secretaries for regular branch meetings; and including propaganda content in commune and village radio programs.

PV:Oral communication is conducted through interaction. Therefore, speakers and communicators must not only possess knowledge but also have an engaging way of expressing themselves to captivate listeners, making them understand, remember, and follow the message. So, what is the quality of the speakers and communicators in Yen Thanh?

Local authorities in Yen Thanh district inspect the progress of road construction using new technology in Dong Thanh commune. Photo: Thai Hong

Mr. Nguyen Khac De:Currently, 100% of grassroots Party organizations under the District Party Committee have speakers and propagandists, ensuring the required number and quality. The total number of district-level speakers is 44. The total number of commune-level propagandists is 1,063.

We need to strengthen not only the quantity but also the quality of our team of reporters and propagandists. They must not only have knowledge and communication skills but also credibility. Only then can the propaganda reach its intended target; incomplete or inadequate explanations of a policy or initiative can often backfire.

With that perspective in mind, the selected team of speakers and propagandists are all individuals with strong political convictions, loyal to the goals, ideals, and revolutionary cause of the Party, possessing a high fighting spirit and sense of discipline, especially in speech discipline; humble and eager to learn, exemplary in morality and lifestyle, and maintaining close relationships with the people.

In addition to the standard allowances, the communes have also focused on providing extra support for speakers: 30 communes provide monthly financial support to speakers, and 2 communes provide fuel allowances for speakers attending meetings at the district level...

In addition, every year, district-level reporters and commune-level propagandists participate in several professional training courses. In particular, we organize study tours for reporters to learn from practical models in localities within and outside the district, so that they have more practical material to convey in their propaganda work, making it more vivid and persuasive…

Based on our assessment of the communication skills of district-level presenters, approximately 20% were rated excellent, 55% good, and 25% average. Most presenters demonstrated enthusiasm, dedication, and a high sense of responsibility in their work.

Officials from the Propaganda Department of the Yen Thanh District Party Committee inspect the new rural development program in Ly Thanh commune. Photo: Xuan Dung (Propaganda Department of the Yen Thanh District Party Committee)

PV:In the age of information explosion, alongside the advantages, oral propaganda work faces certain difficulties. So what solutions does Yen Thanh have to further improve the effectiveness of oral propaganda work?

Mr. Nguyen Khac De:Despite achieving many results, oral propaganda work reveals some limitations, such as a largely one-sided, top-down approach with insufficient dialogue; in some units, there is a lack of close coordination between speakers and Party branch secretaries, village heads, and relevant departments in disseminating information. Meanwhile, practical demands are increasingly high, both in terms of political tasks and the target audience, regarding the form, methods, and content of propaganda.

Therefore, we continue to build, strengthen, and improve the team of speakers, effectively manage and provide professional training for speakers and propagandists at all levels, and regularly inspect the activities of grassroots speakers.

In particular, Yen Thanh continues to maintain the effective organization of monthly briefing sessions and "ideological day" activities to provide official information on new policies and guidelines; constantly innovates the content and methods of operation of the team of speakers at all levels; continues to organize field trips to socio-economic models inside and outside the district for district-level speakers and grassroots propagandists. It continues to direct grassroots units to develop specific monthly and quarterly plans; organize forums for speakers to provide directional information to cadres, Party members, and the people; effectively implement the policy of "focusing on the grassroots," and strengthen dialogue between speakers and listeners…

PV:Thank you, sir!

Thanh Duy