KUNA Chief: storytelling is influential in connecting governments to people

KUNA's Director General Dr. Fatima Al-Salem on Wednesday marked out storytelling in government media as an influential instrument in connecting governments to people due to adaptability to technological advancements and wide reach. This was during Dr. Al-Salem's participation at a panel discussion organized by Sharjah journalism club dubbed, storytelling: human connection in a digital age, at the 13th international government communication forum in Sharjah. Engaging in the discussion were Riyadh newspaper Editor-in-chief Nawal Al-Jaber and Bahraini writer Sawsan Al-Shaer, and moderating the panel was Kuwaiti media person Dr. Mohammad Al-Wasmi. KUNA's Director General said that the significance of storytelling lies in its ability to relay information to audiences in an engaging, accessible and visually appealing manner. Al-Salem pointed out KUNA's own program, Diaries of a Profession, as an application of storytelling technique. She went on to explain that storytelling plays role in boosting citizen confi dence in government activity, as it sets out to meet public demands and display government news. As for challenges, Dr. Al- Salem pointed out that the technique is new to government media scene, therefore, there is an insufficiency in cadres and expertise. Recent technological advancements pushed media to take leaps away from orthodox means of news transmission to the integration of visual, audio, and readable material making news more widely available, she commented. Dr. Al-Salem described storytelling of government narrative through hybrid media as the road to efficiency. As for Al-Jaber, she spoke of storytelling as a way to boost communication, cultivate sense of identity, efficiently relaying messages, as well as promoting confidence and engagement. Al-Shaer, on her part, said that government communication departments must be equipped with flexibility and a high level of readiness to ensure success. Earlier today, the 13th international government communication forum was launched, addressing the cha llenges and opportunities facing people and governments. Source: Kuwait News Agency