Blending the new media at work

How many of you used email 10 or 15 years ago? This was one of the very first questions the trainers asked their participants during the 5-day Bridging New Media Workshop for communication officers and decision makers organised in Kuala Lumpur from 11 – 15 June 2007 by Southeast Asia Center for e-Media or SEACeM.

The title of the seminar itself is interesting – bridging the new media for managers. To have a full understanding of what it really meant I asked the CEO of Malaysiakini.com and SEACeM, Premesh Chandran – what was the main objectives and what inspired him?. He said that normally whenever he organised ICT training, ICT people or the web expert participated. In fact, they are already familiar with the technology and was not necessary for them to join. When participants returned home, we expected the communication strategies int heir organisations to be improved. However, what normally happened was that the communication may be discussed but without those computer or web experts or rather that their voices were overwhelmed by communication managers – (who know how to write but know little or nothing how technology works).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The miscommunication between those web experts and their managers remains unresolved as the managers could not understand the technical terms explained to them. This resulted in the planning of communication strategy without knowing thy can do more and things can be done in many different new ways with technology na new media. This workshop is for the managers to know how technology works and how they can blend it in their work.

I always like the participatory approach wherever i participate in the training course or workshop. This training cum workshop does not disappoint me, therefore a lot of contribution from the floor. The workshop did not focus exclusively on technology but also on planning and strategy, marketing and management. How do you plan your communication strategy and how the new media fits in?