Main Agenda of Public Administrator - Essay Example

The public administrator’s main agenda is to create economic movement which was slowed down by the recession. By giving another round of tax credits, people would be able to use their resources in buying new homes. Although there was criticism that the price of homes would artificially go up, still, it would be good for the economy. The press release quoted supportive statements from different public officials to protect the administration’s move as a valid and logical decision. Behind the press release is the governor’s intention to inform the public of a positive move by the government and persuade people to appreciate the importance of the tax credits so they can be motivated to avail of such benefits.

While it is true that the governor’s office is using the media for its press release to communicate and influence the general public (stakeholders), such an act benefits the citizenry. Schwarzenegger was right all along when he said that “We are the eighth largest economy in the world. It would be insane for us to sit back and wait for the economy to come back”.

The statement is fact-based since the economy would take a long time to recover what with the case of Greece lurking as a shadow, a premonition of another financial setback for the United States. Therefore, the governor insisted that the federal state execute a concrete action that they believed would alleviate the sagging economy. The main point of the press release is that the tax cuts would benefit the economy as a whole since they would spur economic movement. This is supported by certain sub-points such as the creation of new homes is highly correlated to the creation of new jobs is a very valid argument. Therefore, it can be concluded that the press release benefits the public which can be considered major stakeholders in this issue.

Aside from the government, another key group that has an agenda is the housing industry (California Building Industry Association). The new bill would hopefully move people to spend money on homes. Indeed, this is a temporary fix to a lingering problem but somehow, it brings hope. When it comes to a press release, the internet can be used as a very rapid means of disseminating information to the general public –whether it be online articles, magazines, or even blog sites and Twitter. Indeed, technology speeds up a press release and enables information to be relayed even in real-time. Because of this, the public can easily react to such information by posting their messages on blog sites, forums, or even social networking sites. The feedback is immediate and policymakers are made aware of the implications of their decisions.

Indeed, the role of the press release has changed due to the explosion of Information technology. According to Richard Edelman “We should move toward conversations, a full set of facts (positive and negative) about products or companies, and open discussion” (qtd. from “The Changing Role of the Press Release”, prnasia.com, 2003). The press release is the core material that spins the activity of disseminating information to the public in whatever media possible.

Indeed, media has a large effect on public opinion for it can sway the opinion in its favor, depending on the packaging media has presented about a certain issue. A higher level of information distortion is also known as propaganda most commonly used by groups with different agendas. This is where the Foucault regime of truth sets in. As Hall (1997, p.49) argues “not of the truth of knowledge in the absolute sense, a Truth which remained so, whatever the period, setting, context- but of a discursive formation sustaining a regime of truth”. The media disseminates a certain truth that the public unknowingly digests and accepts as valid.

In short, a press release can be a powerful tool to enable public administrators to disseminate information, yet it can also be a tool to construct a new set of reality for the public. The only difference lies in the ethical behavior of those who disseminate the information. In such cases, messages can be denotative or connotative. However you look at it, information is passed through to reach the stakeholders.