LESOTHO: SPEAKER PROGRAM EVALUATION - DR. STEVEN LIVINGSTON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000642

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR AF/S, IIP/SEG (KARA BREISSINGER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KDEM LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: SPEAKER PROGRAM EVALUATION - DR. STEVEN LIVINGSTON

REF: BREISSINGER-SMITH E-MAIL (10/19/07)

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1. SUMMARY: From December 10-15, Embassy Maseru hosted media
and public affairs expert Dr. Steven Livingston, a professor of
Political Communication at George Washington University's School
of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA),for a series of workshops
with Government of Lesotho officials, journalists, and civil
society leaders to plan an overhaul of the GOL's communications
strategy. The program came at a timely point in the history of
Lesotho's media development, as conflict between opposition and
governing parties coupled with a lack of adequate state
communication has created suspicions between the government and
press corps. As Lesotho's media becomes bolder, the lack of
sufficient information from the GOL creates a vacuum often
filled with rumor and inaccuracies. Throughout his intense,
highly targeted schedule, Dr. Livingston sought to create a
working communications strategy to encourage GOL outreach. We
rate Dr. Livingston's program highly and recommend him for
future speaking engagements. We believe that his program may
have significant long term benefits for GOL communications
policy, and thus, communication generally in the mountain
kingdom. END SUMMARY.


2. Below is Embassy Maseru's official review of Dr. Steven
Livingston's program:


A. NAME OF SPEAKER AND DATE OF PROGRAM

NAME: Dr. Steven Livingston, a George Washington University
professor of Political Communication at the School of Media and
Public Affairs (SMPA) and the Elliot School of International
Affairs, as well as a research professor in the Political
Science Department.

PROGRAM: Dr. Livingston conducted a program on government
communication strategy and media tradecraft in Maseru, Lesotho,
on December 10-15, 2007.


B. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE TOPICS, VENUES, AND AUDIENCES ADDRESSED

During his five programming days in Lesotho, Embassy Maseru's
Public Affairs Section (PAS) arranged: 1) consultations for Dr.
Livingston with editors of leading local newspapers and experts
on Lesotho's civil rights framework; 2) a two-day communications
workshop with Government of Lesotho officials; 3) a half-day
presentation and workshop with the local media; 4) a half-day
consultation with local civil society and NGO leaders; and 5)
several media appearances and interviews with working media
practitioners (see below).

PAS successfully worked with Lesotho's Ministry of
Communications, other governmental communications and
information officers, NGOs, and media organizations to allow Dr.
Livingston access to all major players in Lesotho's information
and media environment. His presentations brought modern mass
communications techniques to Government of Lesotho information
officers. The subsequent discussions, attended by the Minister
of Communications, led to the formulation of a new
communications strategy document which the Minister will present
to Lesotho's cabinet.

The strategy includes important concept's from Dr. Livingston's
presentations, including: 1) the importance of the role of the
spokespersons at the ministerial level; 2) the necessity of
timely dissemination of information from government to the
media; 3) the role of media in a developing democracy; and 4)
awareness that mutual suspicions between the government and the
media should be replaced by a productive, though watchful,
partnership.

Dr. Livingston's sessions were located at:

-- The Public Eye Newspaper Offices. Public Eye, an independent
weekly publication, hosted a one-hour media consultation
(audience: Public Eye Editor and Mopheme Editor)

-- The Central Bank's Lehakoe Club. The Ministry of
Communications hosted two and a half days of workshops
facilitated by Dr. Livingston (Participants/audience: government
information officers, members of the local press)

-- The U.S. Embassy Maseru Public Diplomacy Room. PAS hosted
Dr. Livingston's half-day consultation with civil society
leaders (audience: NGO's members)


C. AUDIENCE SIZE

Dr. Livingston directly addressed 40 individuals, and reached
many more through the mass media (see below). The workshop
audience numbers were high as anticipated, though attendance by
media representatives at their half-day session was less that
expected.

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D. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SPEAKER IN COMMUNICATION OF INTENDED
MESSAGES TO TARGET AUDIENCE

Dr. Livingston's time in Lesotho hit the mark precisely - he
made a strong case directly to high ranking Government of
Lesotho officials for openness, transparency, and the free flow
of information in a democratic environment. Dr. Livingston's
consultation with newspaper editors was well received, and they
were very candid in their recommendations. His entire two-day
workshop was well received and he addressed critical issues and
challenges facing both the government and the media and their
lack of ability to effectively communicate with each other. He
advised GOL communications officers regarding the implementation
of the new media policy and the potential benefits for Lesotho.
He spoke convincingly on the benefits of "Freedom of Information
Act" type legislation in an open society.

Dr. Livingston also advised media professionals on the
importance of acquiring and protecting sources, as well as
remaining professional and unbiased. Perhaps most importantly,
he strongly emphasized the importance of establishing
spokespersons and greater coordinating messages inside of the
Government of Lesotho in line with the government's strategic
communications priorities.

QUALITY OF IIP SUPPORT

Embassy Maseru is greatly appreciative of IIP's support during
the entirety of this program. The lines of communication
between our post and Program Officer Kara Breissinger were open,
effective, and constant. As a "PD-light" post with limited
resources, Embassy Maseru is delighted to have been offered this
opportunity. We were in frequent communication with IIP
regarding Dr. Livingston's schedule, and appreciated IIP's
arrangement of pre-departure briefings for Dr. Livingston and
for putting him in touch with Mr. George Tanbur, another recent
international speaker in Lesotho.


F. IMMEDIATE RESULTS/IMPACT

Dr. Livingston's workshops in Lesotho were not empty talkshops
or academic discussions. In partnership with the participants,
he actually created a communications strategy which has a strong
possibility of being put into action. While the full impact of
his time in Lesotho is not yet possible to judge, if the
communications strategy is passed through cabinet the impact of
the program on Lesotho's information environment will be
undeniable and undeniably positive.

While highlighting the importance of a government media
communication strategy, the need for adequate and timely
information dissemination, and good journalistic practices, Dr.
Livingston's presentations and dialogue directly addressed two
of Embassy Maseru's Mission Strategic Plan goals: 1) Democratic
Practices and Systems; and 2) Domestic Understanding of Foreign
Policy. This program fulfilled a number of current post
objectives, including: 1) supporting and assisting the local
media with training to ensure their professionalism as well as
impartiality; 2) enhancing the ability of the media to act as an
independent watchdog; and 3) increasing attention or awareness
in the media and in public of USG assistance to Lesotho. Dr.
Livingston reached out to a group of dedicated and driven
journalists and government information officers who want to see
communication between and government media in their nation
become more professional and transparent.


G. PRESS PLACEMENT REPORTING

Embassy Maseru arranged an interview for Dr. Livingston with
Ultimate FM, a youth-oriented government-owned radio station.
The interview was broadcast live on December 13. Embassy Maseru
also arranged for Lesotho Television (LTV),the nation's sole
domestic television station, to capture one of the workshop
sessions. We estimate the viewership of LTV at approximately
30,000. In addition, the Monitor, a popular local
English-language newspaper, interviewed Dr. Livingston. We
estimate the readership of this publication at approximately
20,000. The Government-owned newswire service Lesotho News
Agency (LENA) and the local dual-language newspaper Lesotho
Today/Lentsoe la Basotho also attended workshop and may print
articles on it.
MURPHY