Friends,
Thank you very much for all your support and critical views
as well over the past one month or so.
The new team at NE has taken quite a few initiatives lie
launching the e-mag which has become immensely popular in India and abroad. We have already clocked over 2,000 page views across the world. Here are the stats.
India – 1,117, United States – 786, Germany – 71, United
Kingdom – 15, France – 6, Ireland – 6, United Arab Emirates – 5, Turkey – 5, Canada
– 4 and Russia - 4.
Let me acknowledge that Mr Narendra's weekly columns with his insight on the functioning of the government are becoming extremely popular!
Now, our web site – www.publicrelationscouncilofindia.com
- is almost ready. It has taken quite a bit of efforts in collating information
and putting it together in a presentable format. Our young breed of web
designers is still working to fine tune the site. As you can make out the lists
of TEAMS is still incomplete – that’s mainly because we do not have relevant
data. Will send a separate mail on what’s missing out in the list.
Now, for the future calendar:
Knowledge
Forum: In association with the Press Club Mumbai, we planned a
discussion on the burning issue of Net Neutrality in the first week of May. Mumbai
Chapter President Ajay Sharma and Secretary Sanjay Rammoorthy are working on a discussion
paper. And together with the Club, we hope to have some good speakers.
Other City chapters may try to find similar forums –
Kochi with the local Press Club. We can also tap Lions or Rotarians to align
our Knowledge Forum with their events. This will help us spread our network.
Communicators’ Day: Bengaluru Chapter has been
celebrating Communicators’ Day during the week of May 16 to 20. Suggest all
chapters do the same and plans events, involving PR and media professionals.
Suggested theme: Communicators
as Whistle Blowers.
Frankly, I got the idea from Mr S Narendra’s column – Political
Sandwich – called in the e-mag.
These pointers may be used as discussion paper and in
mails to participants. Bengaluru is working on this so is Mumbai.
Ø Corporate
Communication professionals ought to be in touch with all departments within
their companies and hence in the know of developments. While communicating to
the external world on their respective company's transparency and adherence to
principles of corporate governance, they should make sure that what they speak
is truth.
Ø Corporate
communication professionals should be able to alert top management about any
violations and discrepancies.
Ø Early
alerts could help seal gaps and take corrective steps before the situation
blows up into a crisis or a scam.
Ø Managements/promoters
on their part should not use CompuCom
teams to suppress negative developments or as mere fire fighters.
Ø On
the contrary, with media contacts and 'leaks' of information by competition or
authorities like the Income Tax or Excise, corpcom teams do get to know about
potential negative stories that can ruin the companies’ reputation.
Ø Instead
of acting in the last minute to do damage control, it is important to take
appropriate action and nip the crisis in the bud.
Ø In
today's cut-throat competition, one cannot suppress or kill negative stories.
Ø Managements
need to understand this.
Ø So,
the question is: Whether we as corpcom professionals are ready to take up the
challenge of turning into informal Whistle Blowers within our companies or with
our clients?
Ø It’s
a new role for us. Let's debate now and prepare for future shocks!
At the end of discussions across PRCI platforms, we
intend to bring out a White Paper for further action by Industry and Business
Forums.
It is a sensitive issue. But let’s take the bull by the
horns and demonstrate to the world that we mean business, serious one at that!
Delhi
Chapter: The committee appointed by the Chairman Emeritus and
Chief Mentor has started action towards forming a new Committee under the
leadership of Dr Gaganjit Singh, President, IMM. We hope to have the new committee functioning
shortly.
More as we go along.
Please give feedback on these and the issues that we
discuss in e-mag. This will only help us do well, as a team.
Till then….
