公部門延攬媒體人之分析

Abstract

許多媒體人轉換跑道到政府部門就職，主要的原因是政府部門的所有作為皆會受到大眾媒體與民眾的審視，而政府單位在危機處理與溝通能力上較為薄弱。因此需要媒體人的專業，來協助政府進行危機溝通、行銷宣傳和新聞議題處理等事務。過去相關研究主要探討的內容著重在政府的公共關係和危機處理，但對於政府部門為何要延攬媒體人、媒體人主要的職位和實際的職務內容、媒體人與公部門人員的差異與互動、媒體人在面臨什麼樣的情況下比較容易產生正面或負面的效應等，是較少研究的，而這就是本研究的主要研究問題。

本文採用公關四模式及Galwa & Vogel（2023）提出之公部門聘請專家顧問的四種類型來回答上述問題，並深度訪談公部門負責招募媒體人的主管、實際在公部門工作的媒體人、以及與這些媒體人有許多互動經驗的公務員。

研究結果顯示，媒體人大多都是透過引薦進到公部門服務，引薦的人幾乎都是已經在政府部門服務的媒體同業或是熟識的政黨人士，彼此有一定的信任與了解，且會注意不同媒體的平衡；而媒體人的專業思考角度和人脈是協助公部門最重要的資源與優勢。

媒體人在政府部門會擔任不同的位置，如發言人、局處首長、機要秘書等，但工作內容其實都是很相似的，主要都還是依著自身的新聞專業而延伸工作範疇。在與公務員的互動上，主要的問題是彼此的背景與專業大不相同而產生歧異，但也有公務員非常認同媒體人的專業服務，因此，媒體人與公務員的互動溝通方式及如何化解衝突，是相當重要的關鍵。

最後，媒體人在政府部門，若能發揮積極的功能，主要的條件是當媒體人在施展其專業時，長官的支持與信任度非常重要，也直接或間接影響了媒體人在公部門持續任職的考量。

A significant number of media professionals have transitioned to careers within government departments. This shift is primarily driven by the fact that the actions of government departments are under constant scrutiny from both the mass media and the public. Additionally, government units often demonstrate weaknesses in crisis management and communication capabilities. Consequently, the expertise of media professionals is sought to aid the government in crisis communication, marketing, and handling news issues.

Historically, research has predominantly concentrated on government public relations and crisis management. However, there has been limited focus on understanding why government departments recruit media professionals, the primary positions and actual job responsibilities they assume, the differences and interactions between media professionals and public sector personnel, and the situations in which media professionals are likely to produce positive outcomes. This study aims to address these gaps.

Utilizing the four models of public relations and the four types of expert consultants employed by the public sector as proposed by Galwa & Vogel (2023) as an analytical framework, this study seeks to answer these questions through interviews with public sector directors, media professionals currently working within the public sector, and civil servants with experience interacting with media personnel.

The findings indicate that most media professionals enter the public sector through referrals. The referees are often media colleagues already serving in the government sector or those familiar with political parties, thus ensuring a degree of mutual trust and understanding. These professionals are valued for their perspective and connections within the media industry, which are essential resources and advantages for the public sector.

Media professionals occupy various positions within government departments, such as spokespersons, heads of bureaus, and confidential secretaries. Despite the diversity of titles, their job content is largely similar, extending from their journalistic expertise. Interactions with civil servants can be challenging due to differences in background and specialization. However, some civil servants highly value the professional services provided by media personnel. Therefore, effective interaction and conflict resolution between media professionals and civil servants are crucial.

Finally, the support and trust of superiors significantly influence the performance of media professionals in the public sector and their willingness to continue serving.