On the second last day of the two-week general refresher course for in-service State Forest officers at the Central Academy For State Forest Service on Thursday, participating officers discussed various aspects of media management and shared their experiences with the local media.
About 20 officers from various states shared their views on issues faced while interacting with the media. They sought explanations on the way media handles issues and the criteria for the way various issues are treated.
The officers were informed that providing the correct information to media persons is vital for minimising scope for misrepresentation of information. Various cases were discussed to elicit focus on the impact of news reports on forest officers, their functioning and the factors involved in news reporting.
Officers from Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand participated in a lively debate on various issues pertaining to the forest department and the media. The course coordinator N Sonzalian was also present on the occasion.