Govcomms: The Future Of Government Communication

Barbara Walsh is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra. Her specialised teaching and research interests lie in areas of integrated learning, social responsibility and corporate and strategic communication. Barbara’s 25-year career in public relations and corporate communications, also includes working as an Account Director for PR Consultancies in Sydney and London, managing her own consultancy in Sydney and several senior-level roles in the Australian Public Service. Discussed in this episode: Is effective social media engagement a litmus test for how well communicators can do their job? And how this reflects on the intent of an organisation to engage with citizens. Social media is a fast way to directly engage with citizens. But requires two-way trust and access to the right people for approval and support. The characteristics of good communicators are those who are agile, opportunistic, have strong personal characteristics, and can engage at