Peter Espeut | Public relations is not action

T.R.E.N.D! Chen!”

Indeed, as so many public commentators have observed, we are in the silly season, with both parties on the campaign trail, with hype at new heights, and almost every government agency having media events claiming the ultimate in performance.

You may say: “But it’s only a local government election”, and that is obviously true; but a lot is at stake. If the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ends up with the minority of the popular vote, or fewer council seats than at present, they will have lost the initiative, and will approach the soon-coming general election on the back foot.

After the local government elections, the statisticians will quickly compute how many parliamentary seats would have been won or lost if this were a general election. And yes – turnouts are always lower in local government elections, and the results are not strictly comparable; we know that! But nevertheless, the calculation will be done, and an impression will have been created, never mind the bleating of the wounded on whichever side.

Of course, the party in power always has the advantage. As the election approaches they can announce reductions in the cost of fuel at the pumps (weekly they determine the price using some secret but objective formula, they say); and they can announce reductions in bus fares to the travelling public (at least they are honest and admit that they are temporary – maybe until the general election?). And they can announce the abolition of all kinds of user-fees, and increases in the income tax threshold, never mind the cost to the public purse. Expect more and more of this as the weeks wear on. This is par for the course.

PLAY THE SAME GAME

The opposition – whoever they are – can play the same game, announcing what they intend to do if elected. I must say, this present opposition has been particularly quiet. Considering the flaws in governance procedure, high levels of corruption, environmental degradation, and underperformance in, say, the education sector, there is a lot they could promise they will do should they win. But they promise little.

How different are they? Not very, it seems. One gets the impression that the Opposition believe that the electorate is determined to vote out the incumbents, no matter what the opposition promises – or doesn’t promise! And then their turn to be voted out will follow a few years later. Lawd! We corner dark!

What the voting public needs to watch out for from both sides is froth – public relations posing as action. The JLP is good at it, but the People’s National Party (PNP) is not far behind.

The Patterson Report on Education Transformation was delivered almost two years ago, and has neither been tabled in the Houses of Parliament, nor debated as to its merits or otherwise. An Implementation Committee has been established, but no action plan or timeline has been made public. What we have been treated to is a slick (and clearly very expensive) public relations campaign, with dancehall jingles, promotional shows and glitzy entertainment, repeating the chapter headings in the Patterson Report (governance, infrastructure, etc.) without any content or hint at strategy. Froth! It sounds like silly season election propaganda!

It sounds like a distribution company trying to sell a product in a disinterested marketplace.

Tell us what action you are taking to transform education, and how long it will take you. Public relations is not implementation.

Another frothy PR campaign on the airwaves is telling us that Jamaica is going to become a republic. We already know that! The plan was to hold secret meetings of the Constitutional Reform Committee (no public present, no minutes published), and to table the constitutional amendment at the end of May last, with no public consultation or public education. It was a non-starter, and well-thinking Jamaica is happy at that abortion. But we are still awaiting meaningful public consultation.

What we have been given are so-called “town hall meetings” where the government tells us what they plan to do, and another slick PR campaign telling us what they plan to do, which we know already. All froth, and no substance! Remember: it’s the silly season!

SLICK PR

As the elections draw near, expect more slick PR, bombastic media events, and kinetic entertainment campaigns.

My sources tell me that the JLP has a lot of money to spend on these elections, and they have not yet started to spend it. The advertisements on the broadcast media highlighting real or imagined government achievements, and stated government intentions (i.e. election promises), are paid for from the public purse. Wait till the election is called. You ain’t seen notting yet!

I’m sure the T-shirts, caps and armbands are being printed and packaged with meaningful incentives for the voters.

If all of this spending on PR campaigns, marketing and advertising does not produce the desired result, I hope that the political parties change direction, show some respect for the voting public, and decide to campaign on substantive policy issues rather than on froth. By the time the general election comes around in a year or so, “de CHEN” should have tangible results to show – an energised early childhood sector with better quality teachers, or higher literacy rates; or be exposed as so much foam, bubbles and fizz.

STILL NOT FINISHED

Here we are almost at the end of November and the new highway from Harbour View to Port Antonio is still not finished. The revised deadline was the end of August 2023, and three months later we still have not been treated with the courtesy of being told a new completion date. No manners!

Peter Espeut is a sociologist and development scientist. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com