~ Tagbarha Malcolm (FHNR)
The ability to successfully package, brand and sell a politician to the public through the media is exclusively reserved for adept men and women who possesses the requisite political intelligence viz-a-viz the political communication skills of our times.
Interestingly, just as without a battery in a mobile phone, the phone tends to be non functional, so also without a charger to boost up your phone battery, the battery seems to be non functional.
Therefore, symbolically, a politician seems to be non functional without the media which stands for the battery that serves as the life of the political activities, while the media practitioners or political communicators stands for the charger that helps in boosting up the battery to make the politician’s visible at all times.
The media and the political communicators are like siamese twins, which work together to build a relationship to grow politicians, with compelling political communication skills. Although it has been noted that effective political communication is about being proactive, not just reactive to situations. In this context the social media practitioners as political communicator, is saddled with the responsibility of being pro-active in packaging and branding and selling the politician to the people.
And it all begin with harnessing the power of communicating with purpose and vision.
It is not enough to post pictures and scribble down a few words. Understanding the times, the choice of words, how to communicate these words to either inform, educate, inspire or motivate and the manner of communication is key to political communication.
You have to demonstrate an ability to tap into the prevailing mood of the times, strengthening the impact of your communication by providing details and personalizing your message to connect with the people on behalf of your principal.
Taking out political communicators from a politician’s activities, is more or less like toiling with the progress of such politician.
Political communication as a context in politics may sound simple, but it involves tremendous effort in strengthening the progress of a politician with the people.
On the other hand, the importance of political communicators to a politician cannot be over emphasized, as it helps in advancing the ideologies and progress of the politician towards achieving his or her stated goal(s) through strategic planning and communication.
No doubts, over the years public relations has proven to be a field that is highly essential to politicians, as it has help them in promoting and increasing their ideologies and how they can become effective representatives to the people.
Benefits like reputation capital, improved relations with the people has been ensured through effective political communications.
Political communication, also help in improving ties of the politicians with the people. It is a very powerful tool which is deployed by politicians through their experience as political communicators, especially through the media, to maintain the reputations of his or her principal, and in creating irresistible image of the politician to the people.
Since the image of your principal is a very important factor in winning electorates during elections, it speaks of the status of your principal as well. Therefore, the service of an effective and well grounded political communicator is very paramount in this regard.
As earlier stated in the introductory paragraph, referring the political communicator as a charger that boost up the battery which is politician, one can likely conclude that it is through the activities of the political communicators that politicians draws his or her strength.
Therefore, a political leader without an experienced political communicator is undeniably incomplete, as public relations through effective political communication in the media, serves as the life of the political leader.
In conclusion, a highly effective and consistent communication practices will greatly accelerate the trajectory of the politician’s career and consistently transform him or her into an influential political figure.
Malcolm is the Chief Press Secretary to
Sapele LGA Chairman, Delta State.
