GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS:GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS:INFORMATION, EDUCATION, OR LOBBYING?

摘要

In modern industrial democracies, government agencies are often called upon to implementrncontroversial policies and projects. In such cases, an agency’s public communications programrncan be subject to ever-closer scrutiny and, concurrently, ever-greater demand for its essentialrnservices. Without the public communications program, the public may not be well informed, yetrnagencies walk a fine line when meeting the public’s need for information and involvement.rnThose involved in such communications efforts need a firm grasp of what is permissible, what isrnproven, and what is possible in their efforts to inform and involve the public. To those ends, thisrnpaper defines communication concepts, cites relevant legislation, and employs case studies tornillustrate the differences between public information, public education, and lobbying. In thernprocess, the authors explore the evolution of several agencies’ public communications programs,rnnoting how deficiencies have been overcome and strengths have emerged.