Government and public sector communications are among the few areas of public relations where every decision is simultaneously measured through transparency, public trust, and the ability to manage crises. In recent years, Slovenia has faced a series of demanding situations, from the pandemic and catastrophic floods to growing challenges related to disinformation and changes in the way citizens consume information. At the centre of this communications system is Petra Bezjak Cirman, Director of the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia (UKOM), the institution responsible for coordinating government communications, media relations, digital channels, and the international promotion of the country.
Before entering the government sector, Petra Bezjak Cirman built her career in journalism, working for Televizija Slovenija and the daily newspaper Delo, where she spent years covering the work of the government, parliament, and other key state institutions. At the same time, she was actively involved in employee co-management and media organisations, holding leadership positions in the RTV Slovenija Workers’ Council, the Association of Workers’ Councils of Slovenia, and the Trade Union of Journalists of Slovenia.
In an interview with Media Marketing, she talks about what truly lies behind leading UKOM, how government communication strategies are developed and implemented, how new communication formats such as podcasts and TikTok channels were introduced, and why she considers the fight against disinformation one of the key challenges of today’s information environment. She also reflects on crisis communications during the 2023 floods, cooperation on projects promoting Slovenia internationally, and the role of artificial intelligence in the work of public sector communications teams.
Many people perceive only the functions someone performs. You served as the Director of the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia. What actually lies behind that role?
Behind the role are more than 40 people who, with their professional expertise in government communications, form the foundation of the Government Communication Office (UKOM). My motto as Director of UKOM was: listen to the arguments first and only then make a decision. No one possesses all the knowledge in the world, which is why colleagues are the key to success. Behind UKOM lies both traditional communication (press conferences, briefings, statements, responding to journalists’ questions, etc.) and digital communication, the GOVSI editorial team, and the promotion of Slovenia to foreign audiences. UKOM manages ten profiles across eight different social media platforms. Government posts generated tens of millions of reach and more than one hundred million impressions over the past four years. During the term of Dr. Robert Golob’s government, the number of followers increased across all government profiles, and UKOM launched new social media profiles on platforms where we are not accustomed to seeing official institutions present (such as TikTok). Another communication innovation was the establishment of the GOVSI podcast, produced entirely by UKOM, as well as the introduction of active citizenship initiatives for young people, through which 5,000 young people became familiar with the work of the government during educational visits. Over the past four years, the GOV.SI website recorded an average of more than 1.2 million visits and 2.7 million page views per month.
The central and regular weekly event for UKOM is the government session, and the main guiding principle of government communicators is to present government decisions in a transparent and clear manner. Over four years, we communicated to the public the decisions and resolutions from 200 regular government sessions and 450 correspondence sessions. After almost every government session, we organized a press conference in one of the two government media centers and ensured its live broadcast.
UKOM also plays an important role in promoting Slovenia abroad, as it manages the slovenia.si website and the dedicated Instagram profile @slovenia aimed at foreign audiences. Over the past two years, we established close cooperation with the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations (OKS ZŠZ) on the Slovenian House Paris 2024 and Slovenian House Cortina 2026 projects. In both projects, I led special working groups responsible for preparing the Slovenian House program, through which we aimed to present Slovenia to the global public.
Every government has its own communication strategy. How is such a strategy developed and implemented in practice?
The government’s communication strategy was already defined in the coalition agreement, which is why the communication strategy of Dr. Robert Golob’s government was based on a respectful and inclusive relationship with the public. Across all government digital profiles, we consistently encouraged a culture of respectful communication and repeatedly called on users in the comments to do the same. One of the key objectives was to ensure fast and reliable information, which is why we responded to journalists as quickly and transparently as possible.
We also implemented the strategy in practice by introducing new communication approaches. Among them, the production of the GOVSI podcast stands out, through which we sought to bring government content closer to the broader public in a more accessible format. Another important focus was combating disinformation, which we highlighted through the campaign “Read, Think, Verify” (#StopDisinformation), for which UKOM received the professional Prizma Award.
To reach younger target groups, we used modern communication approaches such as collaboration with TikTok creators, while visits by high school students were intended to bring the work of the government closer to younger generations. In this way, we expanded the strategy through direct public engagement and by strengthening trust in institutions. To summarize, we accelerated the digitalization of communication and raised public awareness about the dangers of disinformation for democratic processes and public opinion.
Among the larger strategic projects, I would also like to highlight two communication initiatives. The first is the “Public Sector for All” campaign, through which we wanted to emphasize the importance of public servants and bring public sector professions closer to citizens during the reform of the public sector pay system. The second project was communication support for the most important foreign policy event during the mandate of Dr. Robert Golob’s government, namely the meeting of leaders from nine Mediterranean countries (MED9) in Portorož. UKOM was responsible for the event’s complete visual identity, the live broadcast of the press conference, proper public information, and the organization of a media center that hosted more than one hundred domestic and international media representatives, providing full communication support for the event.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in your position?
Working with people brings unique challenges and rewards, as employees are ultimately the ones who help make an organization successful. In the age of digitalization, it is necessary to embrace numerous innovations and introduce them among employees, which presents a challenge. However, the greatest challenge is certainly crisis communication, where UKOM plays a leading role and coordinates communication across all ministries and departments (during Golob’s government, we coordinated communication for as many as 20 ministries).
Which moment from your mandate has remained most memorable to you?
One of the memories that will stay with me forever is also connected to crisis communication: the devastating floods of 2023, the worst in the history of independent Slovenia. When I received a call from the National Civil Protection Headquarters early one August morning, no one yet understood the scale the floods would reach. At that moment, it was first necessary to inform the public about the danger and prevent potential casualties, and later to communicate the government’s emergency measures. The decisive and outstanding role of chief communicator was assumed by Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan, while UKOM employees provided him with communication support. For its crisis communication during the floods, UKOM received the professional Prizma Award in the field of public relations.
To what extent did the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia use artificial intelligence in its day-to-day communication?
UKOM employees regularly use artificial intelligence in their work. However, it turns out that the human brain is far more creative than a computer.
If you had not pursued a career in public relations, what would you have done instead and what profession would you have chosen?
After twenty years in communications, I sometimes tell myself that I will become a yoga teacher and start gardening. Hahahaha… Communications involve a great deal of stress and pressure from various stakeholders, so I often think that I should have chosen a less stressful profession. But if I am honest with myself, I know that I will probably never be able to leave communications, because it is an integral part of who I am as a person.
