Huge increase in Govt spin doctors
Radio NZ report:
RNZ has crunched the numbers the latest annual reviews to Parliament from two dozen major government departments and agencies, and three district health boards.
The 2017/18 reviews show some have doubled the numbers of communications staff in a single year, some are stable, and overall the trend is up.
Overall, annual reviews show public sector communications staff numbers rising 60 per cent since 2013.
A 60% increase over five years is huge.
Public Relations Institute (PRINZ) chief executive Elaine Koller said these were signs the government was listening more, not spinning things more.
“Spin is a really unfair description of what public relations is,” Koller said.
Actually I thought the PRINZ response was wonderful spin – the more communications staff you have means the more listening you are doing. Just wonderful spin.