Information without data is just opinion: Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said in the modern era, any information without being backed by data is merely a personal opinion or idea.

"In the absence of accurate data, any public relations or publicity strategy becomes baseless," he said.

He called upon public relations officers to rely on specific and objective data in preparing any message. He made the call at a training programme for Public Relations Officers (PROs) of various ministries at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID) in Dhaka this morning (24 May).

Addressing the officials, he said, "The current era is the age of accurate data or statistics. It is not possible to determine what you are doing at the field level or how the government's message is reaching the people based on words of your mouth or perception."

Swapan said to ensure the acceptability and authenticity of information, there must be accurate data behind it.

Any information without data will be seen by society only as an individual's opinion, which has no institutional or objective value, he said.

Highlighting the importance of 'psychography' and digital footprint analysis in the modernisation of public relations, the information minister said that it is now very easy to extract specific data by analysing the content of digital platforms.

"By analysing the data, one can create a perfect graph of public opinion, such as how many likes, dislikes a piece of content receives and what kind of comments people make on it," he said.

Swapan said public relations officers will have to deal with perception management or negative propaganda by using this scientific data.

Addressing the information cadre officers, he said they should develop themselves as a skilled 'digital force'.

If the development and success of each ministry can be presented to the public through data or statistics, the credibility of the information increases manifold, the minister said.

He said data-based publicity can remove confusion and create the right perception or idea in the public mind.

State Minister for Information Yeasir Khan Chowdhury spoke as a special guest at the event.

Chaired by Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed, the event was attended, among others, by Additional Secretary of the ministry Mohammed Yasin.