Petra Bezjak Cirman
Author: Urad vlade za komuniciranje
Petra Bezjak Cirman, born in 1981 in Brežice, holds a bachelor's degree in journalism.
She was introduced to journalism in the news programme of Televizija Slovenija, the television arm of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, as a student. Bezjak Cirman continued her career at the newspaper Delo, where she initially worked as a correspondent from the Dolenjska region, and later became employed at the home affairs desk of the largest newspaper in Slovenia. In 2008 she returned to Televizija Slovenija, where she worked as a reporter and occasional host at the home affairs desk of the news programme of Televizija Slovenija. She reported on the work of the government, parliament, president of the republic, political parties, etc. Before being elected to the works council of RTV Slovenija, she was a journalist at the Celje correspondent office, where she covered the activities of local communities.
In 2017, she was elected to the works council of RTV Slovenija from the ranks of employees, and the 15 members of the works council then elected her as the professional president of the council. Bezjak Cirman devoted herself to worker co-management in the public institute based on the exercising of workers' rights, promoting economic democracy and representing employees in various bodies as part of RTV Slovenija, while advocating in public for the important role played by the largest media institution in the country. In 2019, she was elected the vice-president of the Association of Works Councils of Slovenia, and in 2021, the vice-president of the Trade Union of Journalists of Slovenia. In 2022, she was re-elected to the works council in direct elections and also to the supervisory board of RTV Slovenija, where she represented the interests of employees and defended independent and free journalism.
During the coronavirus epidemic in 2020–2022, Bezjak Cirman worked as a spokesperson of the Civil Protection for the region of Western Štajerska. She received the Civil Protection Bronze Medal for self-sacrificing and successful performance of protection, rescue and assistance tasks. In 2021, she also received a commemorative badge for self-sacrifice in the fight against Covid-19, awarded by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for her work as a spokesperson of the regional Civil Protection headquarters.
As the Director of the Government Communication Office, Ms. Bezjak Cirman spearheaded essential structural changes and innovative practices in governmental communication, including crisis communication during the 2023 floods. The primary objective was to ensure public access to information and effective engagement with all relevant stakeholders. Additionally, all other crisis communication plans were updated to enhance preparedness.
During her tenure, she introduced various innovations, such as a governmental podcast, expanding traditional means of informing and engaging with the public, thereby enhancing transparency in governmental operations.
In addition to her extensive experience in communication, Ms. Bezjak Cirman possesses exceptional competencies in strategic planning, public opinion analysis, and collaboration with media and other key stakeholders.
She currently leads the Permanent Coordination Group for the Promotion of the Republic of Slovenia and the working group for coordinating the Slovenian House project at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
In recent years, Ms. Bezjak Cirman has been particularly focused on the recognition and prevention of disinformation, considering it crucial for effective operation in today's information environment. Within the Secretariat of the National Security Council, she also heads the working group for disinformation prevention.