ID :
325328
Sat, 04/19/2014 - 07:15
Auther :

Search for MH370: Malaysia Handled Daily Press Conference Well, says Expert

PUTRAJAYA, April 19 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian authorities have handled well the global-scale daily media conference on a missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight, said a communication expert, Ethan Becker. The US-based Speech Improvement Company Inc president said that through his observation of several of the media conferences, the communication between the authorities and media improved as it came along though it was less effective at the initial stage. "There were some moments where they fell off their game, some moments where their frustrations came through, and at other moments I think they did a very good job at being calm and collected," he told reporters after delivering a talk entitled "Strengthening Crisis Communication" here Friday. Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman were the regulars at the daily press conference on MH370. Flight MH370, with 239 people aboard, left the KL International Airport at 12.41 am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later while over the South China Sea. It was to have arrived in Beijing at 6.30 am on the same day. A multinational search was mounted for the Boeing 777-200 aircraft, first in the South China Sea and then, after it was learnt that the plane had veered off course, in the southern Indian Ocean. After an analysis of satellite data indicated that the plane's last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth, Australia, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced on March 24 that Flight MH370 "ended in the southern Indian Ocean". Becker commended the manner of Ahmad Jauhari when handling one of the press conferences where he shared the pain of the victims’ family members, saying the MAS CEO had done a good job. "Sometimes, no matter what you say, people can still be very emotional. He did a nice job. He didn't get frustrated or angry. "Sometimes, at a press conference, because each media outlet has its own agenda, some folks are just looking to get emotional and some facts just cannot be revealed at that time because maybe they don't have all the information," he said. Becker, who is also a speech coach and trainer, said that to ensure effective communication in times of crises, leaders should make time to practise how to communicate in a calm, confident and comfortable manner, as well as have a plan and strategy. He said effective communication helped people to remain calm and strengthen their trust while an ineffective one made people scared and fearful and could lead to chaos. "When it's emotional, life, death, war, politics, it matters a great deal, the ability to be in control of your communication. We don't have to get it perfect, we are human, but we can be really good at it, to communicate the message we are trying to send," he said. The half-day seminar was organised by the Razak School of Government (RSOG) and attended by more than 40 top leaders from the public sector and government-linked companies (GLCs). Becker is also co-author of the best-selling book "Mastering Communication at Work: How to Lead, Manage and Influence" and holds two degrees in communication and an honorary doctorate from Fitchburg State University, United States. -- BERNAMA

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