A 2.5 hours informative, enriching, and practical workshop on Engaging Media for Effective Service Delivery was conducted at NIPA Lahore for participants of 45^th Mid-Career Management Course on December 29, 2025. The session was facilitated by Mr. Fahad Hussain, Executive Director and Anchor at Express Media Group, who drew upon his extensive national and international experience in journalism and strategic communication. The workshop focused on the evolving nature of media engagement in the digital age, emphasizing that speed, credibility, empathy, and ownership are central to effective government communication. Participants were exposed to crisis-communication simulations involving high-pressure scenarios such as terrorist incidents, stampedes at religious gatherings, custodial deaths, and violent protests with international media implications.

Through group-based mock press briefings, participants learned to craft initial government responses, manage narratives across traditional and digital media, and respond to public scrutiny. Mr. Hussain emphasized that defensive communication weakened credibility while timely acknowledgment, clarity of facts, and institutional accountability strengthened public trust. The session ended with reflections on how perception management has become integral to public service leadership in an era of competing narratives and instant information flows.

The workshop concluded with a standing ovation to the esteemed speaker by the faculty and participants.