Ministry of Interior scoops Social Media Award

The Interior Ministry’s Police Media Directorate won on Wednesday the Social Media Award for the most active government account. The Ministry won additional praise for the responsible use of its @moi_bahrain Twitter account.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King and Chairman of the Supreme Authority of Media and Communication.

The award reflects the extent of the Police Media Directorate’s professional development and utilization of technology under the directive of His Excellency Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. Follow-up efforts from General Director of Interior Ministry Court, Brigadier Engineer Riyadh Eid Abdullah, have also contributed to the achievements of the Police Media Directorate as well as to the overall strategy to modernize all systems and processes within the Ministry.

“Interior Minister realized the importance of media. He called for the establishment of a specialized directorate for police media that is responsible for communications for the Ministry. HE Interior Minister continues to support to Police Media Center and is proud of the many skilled staff people who work there. The Center has outfitted with the best technology to allow them to perform their work. The Police Media Center’s website has won the ISO certificate in e-media and posts all round-the-clock MOI, regional and international news,” the MOI in a statement said.

“The Police Media Center has become a crucial part of the team that works to protect the security and stability of the country. The Center continues to succeed in communicating to and informing the public. In 2013, the Police Media Center has relayed Interior Ministry activities to the public as well as communicating the security efforts put in place to maintain security. This has been done through press statements, documentaries, radio shows and TV interviews.”

“This year, the Police Media Directorate produced 30 films on the security situation in the country and 25 public service announcements. It responded to 463 comments on the Good Morning Bahrain radio show and 522 statements were published in local media. More than 770 press releases on the Interior Ministry were released from January to end of November. The Al Amn radio show presented 39 episodes that tackled a wide variety of topics.

“The Police Media Center also publishes accurate information on their Twitter account which has attracted approximately 136,000 followers. In 2013, the Center sent 3,123 Tweets.

“As result of the success of the monthly magazine Al Amn that is printed in both Arabic and English, the Police Media Center is preparing to release the first edition of its “Watani” (My Nation) children’s magazine. It will be the first of its kind in Bahrain and aims to communicate important public service messages through the use of photos, paintings and simple words.

“The Police Media Directorate has proven its capability to offer media in a professional, accurate and timely manner. A new police media strategy is currently underway to tackle challenges, reinforce the Ministry’s partnership with the community, and to increase its awareness with the public.

“The Center is also constantly working to ensure that the information that is released is not only accurate but also timely. Credibility is extremely important in the world of social media networking. It is the Police Media Center’s job to earn the trust of the community by releasing facts and up-to-date information.

“The Police Media Center is prepared to act as an information center in the event of a crisis. Providing important information in a state of emergency can help the public make informed choices on how to stay safe. The police Media Center often include photos and videos with their reports in order to verify the accuracy of their information.

“The Police Media Center constantly reaches out to the public to correct rumors and misinformation that are so often found on social media channels. The Center also engages in a partnership with local media in order to announce press statements and to inform the public.”