Universitas Brawijaya (UB) held a Crisis Management Workshop in the Perspective of Higher Education Public Relations, Friday (12/07/2024). This activity was carried out at Ijen Suites Resort & Convention, Gatotkaca Meeting Room, in order to improve the performance of Public Relations in Higher Education. The activity, which was initiated by the Public Relations Subdivision-Information and Public Relations Division, was attended by the Rectorate, Faculty Deans, Heads of Institutions, Directors, Heads of UPT, Heads of Divisions, Heads of PSIK and public relations staff of faculties and work units.
University Secretary, Dr. Tri Wahyu Nugroho, S.P., M.Si when opening the event said that public relations has an important role in maintaining external opinion, and educating when there are things that are not in accordance with the facts.
“Lately, there has been a lot of fake information such as WA scammers who impersonate university leaders, as well as issues and opinions both internal and external. University public relations are required to be able to answer what the community needs, and anticipate wildly developing issues,” he said.
In the first session of this activity, Digital Communication Practitioner Dr. Rulli Nasrullah, M.Si. was present. He presented the material “Crisis Management from a University Perspective”.
According to the man who is familiarly called Kang Arul, one of the efforts that university public relations can do to anticipate crises from a public relations perspective is to have content pillars.
“There needs to be a public relations guide or regulation where branding for UB is one door through central public relations. Content planning, what is allowed and what is not, and good coordination between central public relations and faculty/work unit public relations,” said Kang Arul.
Content publication requires pillars that are guidelines for the nature of the content, namely between internal content and external content whose usefulness is related to the general public or only for internal interests.
In the publication of social media content, several types of content are based on sources or materials in higher education, namely events, students, guides, facilities and infrastructure, infographics, libraries, media releases, and lecturers and HR.
Arul also explained that public relations plays a role in digital communication starting from brand-digital-myth as a basis for determining the direction of strategic communication.
“In practice, social media can no longer be called a fire extinguisher, where social media is a place to clarify issues. When netizens are angry, don’t rush to clarify, because netizens will attack even more. Basically, netizens only need answers, not explanations,” he explained.
This session was closed with a Q&A. One participant asked about internal information that was published and information that collaborated with student activity accounts with less engagement. The answer was, “Go back to the original goal, why create a social media account, do you have to go viral or for optimal information delivery,” he said.
This activity was also continued with the presentation of material on “Government Public Relations Role Policy in the Digital Era” by resource persons Head of the Cooperation and Public Relations Team of the Directorate General of Higher Education and Technology Yayat Hendayana, S.S., M.Si, and Head of Public Relations of the Directorate General of Higher Education and Technology Doddy Zulkifli Indra Atmaja, S.Ikom., M.Si. [Zakiyyatu Fadzilla/Irene/ UB PR/ Trans. Iir]
