Eco Parinaam.Com - Let's Make the Impact

I have just started working on en environment related web site – Eco Parinaam.Com.

Sample page should be up in a couple of days.

We are all aware of the fact that we are systematically destroying the ecology. Everybody is talking about it but hardly anyone seems to be doing anything to save it from degeneration and destruction, or even if someone is doing something that little effort is getting lost under various pressures.

Let it be realized by all destroyers of nature that the ill effects of their deeds will be so disastrous that they will  not have time even to blink when the impact strikes us.

We at Eco Parinaam on the one hand will strive to make an effort to keep pointing out of the ecological dangers while on the other hand appreciating the efforts to preserve the tender nature.

Here is an invitation to all eco-minded and right thinking people to join us and keep raise our combined voice against the forces that destroy the nature.

Rock Garden - Chandigarh

Request all of you to keep sending information, pictures, short films on both positive and negatives aspects of the ecology.

For instance, you may come across a beautiful waterfall on road to Nashik or piles of plastic in Mussoori or Badrinath – please share with us whatever you think is worth noticing by others. We shall upload it with due credit to the sender.

Take another example - the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, created with the waste material generated  by the construction of the planned city. This is a perfect example of recycling waste.

Eco Parinaam.Com is a non-for-profit voluntary effort and it will remain so!

Thanks and regards

BNK24x7

Bengaluru rocks with Daughters' Day event

Click on this video link for a stunning short film

BENGALURU: The Annual Daughter’s Day 2017 event organized by PRCI-YCC Bangalore was an evening of celebration, recognition, pride and honour.

An eclectic blend of high profile guests, young women achievers, entertainers and an enthusiastic audience of students and invitees made sure that this event held at RV Teacher’s College Auditorium, Bangalore, was a benchmark one.

The event started off with a dance by PETALS – a Sri Lankan student dance group from Acharya College, Bangalore, followed by a divine invocation.

Dr. BK Ravi – Chairman - Bangalore Chapter-PRCI and Registrar, Bangalore University, welcomed while Maya Chandra, Chairperson-YCC, Karnataka, spoke about the concept of Daughter’s Day being celebrated in memory of Indo-US astronaut Kalpana Chawla.

The various speakers complemented PRCI for choosing the theme - “Shikshit Beti. Shaksham Bharat”.

Winners all smiles with VIP guests and PRCI-YCC office bearers

Dr.Venkat Rao, Vice-Chancellor National Law School University, Bangalore, spoke on the super power of women, and said that if there any disappointment in his life it is the fact that he does not a daughter though he has two dons.

Dr.Sabiha Bhumigouda, Vice-Chancellor-Akkamahadevi Women’s University, Vijayapura  (Karnataka’s only all women University) appreciated  the design concept of the woman’s hands with mehendi on the backdrop for the event that depicted all the things that women manage and succeed. She expressed that women are leading the way to a brighter India, and events like these are essential to catalyze and motivate them further.

Ms.Roopa MV, Scientist-ISRO in her Keynote Speech discussed the role of women scientists at ISRO and gave exciting insights into ISRO’s work. This was an apt tribute to the work of Kalpana Chawla, who has inspired us at PRCI-YCC to organize Daughter’s Day every year.

VR Satyanarayana, a life coach spoke on the need to be spirited and focused.

This year’s  theme of “Shikshit Beti. Shaksham Bharat” was literally brought to life, meaningfully on stage and on screen.

A scholarship was presented by Mr.Kusumakar Shetty to  Vinitha – daughter of a domestic help who is studying 9^th standard, and wants to study further.

The real life story of Anwar Pasha and Farida was emotionally captured in a short film, produced and directed by Maya Chandra – Head-YCC Karnataka.

This story brought out the odds and communal objections that these parents are undergoing just to educate their only daughter Simran – who has a dream of becoming a teacher.

PRCI-YCC presented the Daughters’ Day awards to a galaxy of young women achievers from diverse walks of life :

• Vasanthakumari – an organic farmer and activist
• Tejaswini Rajesh – a television serial artiste
• Savitha Parbat – Metro Train operator
• Rashmi Belur – Journalist
• Anjali KR – Artiste and dancer
• Shruti Mohan – digital media specialist and social activist
• Varijashree Venugopal – Musician - singer, flutist and composer
• Lavanya – swimming prodigy
• Puja Acharya – prodigy shadow play performer
• Divya Banda Pogaru – Art-based Learning

 

Let's sing for the girl child!

Samadhaan – an NGO performed a powerful silent street play that depicted the trauma of suicides among the youth, and how timely intervention can prevent such incidents. The play stressed on the need for women to have self-confidence and self-belief in spite of  hardships in life.  

The evening concluded with a scintillating shadow play performance by our prodigy awardee – Puja Acharya and golden oldies sung by popular playback singers.

The event was supported by Rashtreeya Shikshana Samithi Trust (RSST) and powered by Business Tycoon Academy and Udupi Ruchi, a local instant food brand.

Kerala PRCI honours inspiring daughters

• Educate girls for India’s future, says Sreekumari Ramachandran

ERANAKULAM: The Kerala Chapter of PRCI has celebrated the Daughters’ Day in association with the Ernakulam Press Club, in memory of Indo-US astronaut Kalpana Chawla.

Noted Malayalam litterateur Ms. Sreekumari Ramachandran, who is also a leading  Social worker, was the Chief Guest. In her speech, She stressed the importance of educating girl children for building the future of India with them.

Two achievers, Ms Stephy Zavior and Ms Malu Shaika, were honored on the occasion.

Malu Shaika:  A graduate in commerce, Malu is currently preparing for her Civil Services exam. Residing in a hostel at Aluva, she works as both Insurance Advisor and Driving Instructor.  She can handle Two wheelers as well as and Heavy Vehicles. Malayala Manorama featured her on 19 February 2017 on her achievement of being the first ever girl to swim across the Vembanadu Lake making her popular. It was the situations she faced in real life that motivated her to swim across the Vembanadu Lake. Most girls in our Society either conceal their dreams within or feel they do not have the means to achieve it. Malu believes that if we pursue our ambitions with all sincerity, we can achieve them.

Stephy Zavior:  Stephy Zavior is a bright young talent in Malayalam Industry, who made a mark in the male dominated world of Costume Designing through her fascinating experiments. Stephy, who proved her excellence by being the proud recipient of the last year’s   Kerala state film award, is also the youngest person to get the honour. It is the feature film titled “Guppy” which got her the recognition, She has also received the Abu Memorial Award for Costume Designing.

Stephy, who grew up in a village in Wayanad lost her father at the tender age of 10. From there, inspired by the Hollywood Movie “Titanic”, Stephy went on to conquer all the obstacles and sought a place for herself in the film industry.

Stephy made a name for herself through the brand new experiments, by collaborating with the popular directors and production companies in the South Indian film Industry, after graduating from National Institute of Fashion Technology.

Stephy’s popular works include films such as : Lord Livingston 7000 Kandi, Great Father, Darwinte Parinamam, Luka Chuppi, Guppy, Ezra, Angamaly Diaries.

PRCI Kerala Chapter Secretary T Vinay Kumar welcomed the gathering and explained the importance of Daughters’ Day and the role of PRCI. U S Kutty, Chairman PRCI, Kerala Chapter proposed the vote of thanks. PRCI Kerala Chapter Treasurer P K Natesh, Ernakulam Press Club President K Ravikumar, Secretary S Unnikrishnan were also present.

#IamParsikHill - IamDying in Business India

#Shikshit Beti – Saksham Bharat: Educate Girls – Empower India

An Open Letter To Mass Communication Institutions

Hello Directors of Communication colleges,

As you are aware, the pan-India premier communicators’ body Public relations Council of India (PRCI) and its youth wing Young Communicators’ Club (YCC) have been on an overdrive with Social Communication (or communicating for society).

As part of this endeavour, each year around July 1, we focus on Daughters of India and undertake communication programmes. 

July 1 was the official birthday of  late Indo-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who had an illustrious career and died along with six crew members of the Space Shuttle Columbia which disintegrated over Texas during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, just 16 minutes before landing. Even after her tragic death, Kalpana continues to be a shining example and icon for many girls around the world.

For this year’s Daughers’ Day, we at PRCI have planned the theme - #Shikshit Beti – Saksham Bharat (Educate Girls – Empower India)  focusing on the Role of Educate Girls For India’s Bright Future

Taking forward the Right To Education and Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, PRCI zeroed on to the theme of  #Shikshit Beti – Saksham Bharat to focus attention on Girl Education to make India efficient and capable of realizing its dreams and ensuring progress.

The idea is to communication to the world that the mere Right To Education (RTE) or making primary education compulsory is not good enough. Girls need to move up and go for secondary, higher secondary and college education. Graduation should be the benchmark for both girls and boys to be able to achieve in life. UNICEF sees girl’s education as a lifeline to development.

-Pic from Hindustan Times

The recent relentless struggle by school girls of Gothra Tappa Dahina in Rewari district of Haryana in support of their just demand for higher secondary school in their village has inspired us to launch this communication drive on the theme of education, higher education in particular.

Apart from the necessity to walk for three km to go to higher secondary school in another village, the Rewari girls were subjected to regular eve-teasing, harassment and molestation by ruffians. These girls have won their battle with their determination and grit and the State Government ultimately granted the higher secondary school.

So, let’s salute the spirit of Rewari girls and discuss Role of Educated Girls For India’s Bright Future.

July 1, 2017 falls on Saturday. We planned the following activities involving mainly the communication students with your involvement and support:

.

• Twitter campaign : #ShikshitBetiSakshamBharat – twitter handle @PRCI_NOW
• Facebook comments: on FB pg: https://www.facebook.com/Shikshit-Beti-Saksham-Bharat-117137118883620/
• Essay/elocution/group discussion contests on: Role of Educated Girls For India’s Bright Future.
• Photo/poster contests
• Street Plays/Skits

Select tweets and FB comments, winnings essays, photographs and poters will be carried on PR industry e-mag: PRapport and printed in PRCI special magazine CHANAKYA.

Winners will also get PRCI Certificates.

The new academic year has just begun and let creativity from among the communication students be communicated to the world. PRCI and PRapport (with close 50,000 page views from across the world) provide an ideal platform for this.

We will be happy to meet you for further coordination. Let’s get going right now.

Yours sincerely,

B N KUMAR

National President - PRCI

Veteran journo & litterateur Dr Manohar Prabhakar is no more

Dr Manohar Prabhakar, veteran journalist, litterateur and PR academician, passed away after a protracted illness at SDMH Hospital in early Saturday. He was 82.
Dr Prabhakar's mortal remains were cremated at the Lolkothi Cremation Ground where hundreds of people including journalists, writers, politicians, and his student scholars were present.
After retiring from the Directorate of Information and Public Relations as Director, he joined Rajasthan Patrika as Magazine Editor where he worked for about five years. During 2004-06, Dr Prabhakar was associated with The Tribune as the newspaper’s Correspondent in Jaipur.
In last sixty years of writings, he wrote eight poetry books, six books in journalism and public relations, six books on various subjects related to Rajasthan's freedom struggle, tens of children's books, apart from doing a series of translations of books including one on  Ravindranath Thakur, Megh Doot. He was also a Consulting Editor of Communication Today, Media Quarterly published from Jaipur
The Bhopal-based Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism has awarded its prestigious fellowship to Dr  Prabhakar for undertaking a critical study of Hindi journalism in Rajasthan during the post-Independence period.
Dr. Prabhakar's book in Hindi on the rise and growth of journalism in Rajasthan received the coveted Bharatendu Award of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 1983. The I&B Ministry gave away the same award to him again in 2000 for authoring a book on the craft of journalistic writings.
He had received  dozens of other awards including, Best PR Professional award at International Conference at Bangalore, Lokmitra Award, Rajasthan Sahitya Akedmi Award besides a columnist in a number of English and Hindi newspapers in his 70s.
Dr Prabhakar leaves behind his wife, two sons, two daughters, and great grand kids.

Communicating for a Cause: Reputation Today

We can use our skills and, more importantly, our presence of mind to focus attention on issues of community interest. It could be the overcrowding of local trains and city buses, issues in aircraft, destruction of environment, child labour at restaurants and tyre repair shops, spitting in public places, long queues for utility bill payments or an NGO doing some good work – we can click pictures and shoot videos and post on the alternative media. We can even form groups for various causes.

A case in point is PRCI which has taken a cue from Prime Minister’s latest Mann Ki Baat message to observe the World Environment Day on June 5 and spread the message – Connecting Nature To People.PRCI has taken up the cause of plundering of Parsik Hills in the name of quarrying. The once picturesque hill range today presents a pathetic site with huge destruction and damage done to the nature.

For details:

http://reputationtoday.in/views/communicating-for-a-cause/

Wow, Communication Today!

API (Academic Performance Indicators), prescribed by MHRD/UGC has a column on Published works of Journalism and Mass Communication Teachers. 
Each published article/paper gets marks in the total score for promotion.

UGC has notified a list of Journals approved by it for this  purpose. It is a matter pr pride that COMMUNICATION TODAY has been included in this list.

COMMUNICATION TODAY, a bilingual quarterly since January 1997, is edited by Prof. (Dr.) Sanjeev Bhanawat, Head, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Rajasthan.

Over the years, the journal has provided a forum for writings from Media Teachers, Professionals and others associated with Media.

- Chander Sardana, Bhopal

RedInk Awards Presented; Lifetime for Vinod Dua

• Raj Kamal Jha of Indian Express gets Journalist of the Year Awards
• Govind Tupe of Sakal get Mumbai Star Reporter
• A total of 32 journalists awarded

MUMBAI: The much-awaited event in the personal calendar of journalists – the Mumbai Press Club’s RedInk Award for Excellence in Indian Journalism – 2017 were presented on last evening at a glittering awards night here at NCPA with veteran journalist Vinod Dua being conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Raj Kamal Jha the Journalist of the Year Award.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was the chief guest for the RedInk awards night, said that he does not buy the argument that there is a threat to the fourth estate. "Constructive journalism always has its own value and at the same time we are open to criticism," he said, narrating his own experience since he took over as the Chief Minister.  "Tolerance is in the blood of Indians...India traditionally had been a tolerant society," he said, adding "Our democracy is very strong and it has survived turbulence in the past. The democratic system evolves and corrects itself." 

On this occasion, Mumbai Press Club felicitated Shri Devendra Fadnavis, who played a yeoman’s role in ensuring the passage of the state Journalist Protection Act.

The Lifetime Achievement Award has been bestowed on Vinod Dua for his extensive and versatile contribution to journalism in different formats and subjects. He was among the country’s first psephologists, co-anchoring election analysis programs alongside Dr Prannoy Roy on Doordarshan. Dua continues to be an active journalist today as Contributing Editor of The WireHindi.com and anchors a popular news show called ‘Jan Gan Man Ki Baat’ on the digital platform.

Accepting the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award, veteran journalist Vinod Dua said: "It is not just an award....it is an honour to me." He said that it has been noticed that journalists get too close with people in power and often behaving like that. "This is not something that is good," he said, adding that journalists should also be content by what they are monetarily getting. Besides, one must do what journalists stand for.

Mumbai Press Club felicitates CM

The RedInk Award for the ‘Journalist of the Year’ 2017 given to Raj Kamal Jha, Chief Editor of the Indian Express, for providing exemplary stewardship over the last couple of years to the newspaper; and for providing focus and restoring what it has always been known best for – investigative journalism. Jha also led from the front to make Indian Express part of an international investigative team that cracked the global money laundering scam known as ‘The Panama Papers’.

"This award belongs to the Indian Express, the entire team," said Raj Kamal Jha, the Chief Editor of Indian Express, who received the prestigious ‘Journalist of the year’ for the overall coverage of ''The Panama papers'.  He said that receiving the award on 7 June is unique for him as on 7 June, 1996, he had joined the Indian Express. "For us what is important is a good story...and sometimes when we see a good piece from a youngster, we feel that we could not have written it that way," he said expressing hope that good journalism has a bright future. 

Govind Tupe of ‘Sakal’ newspaper has been awarded the special RedInk award of ‘Mumbai’s Star Reporter’ – instituted for the first time this year – for helping empower civil society through hard work and dogged follow-ups. Donning the role of a journalist and a RTI activist, he forced the establishment to change its rules bringing all offices of cabinet ministers and ministers of state under the RTI umbrella of ‘public authorities’.

Apart from these, awards were also given in the 10 various categories.  This makes the RedInk awards the biggest in the country where journalists are awarded by the peers. “This year the RedInk team received more than 1,500 entries across categories – a significant jump from the previous year that shows the popularity, reach and credibility of the awards among the fraternity.

It was also an evening where much introspection was done in respect of the profession. The media debate of the evening was: ‘Turning the Searchlight Inwards: Why is the Credibility of News Media Today at its Nadir?’. With news media everywhere getting a lot of their predictions wrong – from Brexit to the US elections,  and to the vote in UP’s assembly poll; and with fake news and paid news becoming the talk of the town – it is about time journalists look at themselves in the mirror and fathom where they have gone wrong.

Veteran journalist Vir Sanghvi, former CM Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Senior Journalists Bachi Karkaria, NDTV’s Srinivasan Jain and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta debated the burning issue.

Star India is the Presenting Partner for Mumbai Press Club Redink Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2017, while Aditya Birla Group, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Zee Entertainment, Eros International, Indiabulls Housing, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, National Stock Exchange, Nanavati Hospital and JSW Steel are the Award Partners. The Hindu Group and Facebook are the media partners.

For further information, please contact Dharmendra Jore, Secretary, Mumbai Press Club on 09821475278.

Winners of Redink Awards 2017

POLITICS   

Print - Radhakrishnan Rariyam Kandath, Frontline

TV - Sreenivasan Jain, NDTV

                                               

SCIENCE & INNOVATION     

Print - Nithyanand Rao & Virat Markandeya, The Wire

TV - Aamir Rafiq Peerzada, NDTV

                                               

HUMAN RIGHTS

Print - Ipsita Chakravarty & Rayan Naqash, Scroll.in

TV - Joint Winners, Abhisar Sharma, ABP News & Maya Mirchandani, NDTV

                                               

BUSINESS  

Print - Sarika Malhotra, Business Today

TV - Archana Shukla, CNBC TV 18

                                               

BIG PICTURE       

Winner - Ashish Sharma, Open Magazine

Runner Up - Kunal Pradeep Patil, Hindustan Times

                                               

ENVIRONMENT 

Print

Joint Winner  Tushar Dhara, Sanjay Sawant, Shraddha Ghatge & Neeradh Pandaripande, First Post

Raj Narain Mishra, Dainik Jagran

TV - Rajesh Kumar, India News

                                               

SPORTS       

Print - Swaroop Swaminathan, The New Indian Express

TV - Joint Winner, Moumita Sen, India Today TV & Rajeev Mishra, India News

                                               

HEALTH & WELLNESS           

Print - Priyanka Vora, Scroll.in

TV - Archana Shukla, CNBC TV 18

                                               

CRIME        

Print - Alia Allana, Fountain Ink

TV - Atir Khan, India Today TV

                                               

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT  

Print - Kathakali Chanda, Forbes India

TV - Biju Pankaj, Mathrubhumi News

                                               

SPECIAL IMPACT AWARD - Rahul Kulkarni, ABP Maza

                                               

MUMBAI STAR REPORTER - Govind Tupe, Sakal

                                               

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR - Raj Kamal Jha, Indian Express

                                               

LIFETIME ACHIVEMENT - Vinod Dua

Hello CM, Please stop destruction of Parsik Hills

Pl chheck this link, sign and express your solidarity to the cause of environment

https://www.change.org/p/the-chief-minister-of-maharashtra-iamparsikhill-iamdying-ban-quarrying-now?recruiter=29763990&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition

Concept PR bags America’s PR World Gold for PRCI Campaign

• Agency’s ‘Mission Mumbai Local’ campaign wins PR Milestone Award

• Campaign on behalf of PRCI to focus on City suburban commuter issues

• PR World to honour PR Superstars at San Francisco on June 26

Absolute India Clipping

SAN FRANCISCO/MUMBAI: In a major international recognition, Concept Public Relations India Limited has been chosen for Gold award under the ‘PR Milestone of the Year’ category at the prestigious 7th Annual PR World Awards instituted by Silicon Valley Communications llc, USA.
The ‘SVUS PR World Awards’ are the world’s premier public relations awards programme, created to honour and generate industry-wide and peer recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of Public Relation agencies, organizations and individuals from all over the world.
“The Oscars are given annually for excellence in cinematic achievements. But at the PR World Awards it is you who will be recognized as superstars at a black-tie world event - complete with the red carpet, paparazzis, and live video interviews for every small and big thing that you and your team did in the past 18 months to make your clients successful,” says PR World. The gold plated trophies at the PR World Awards have been designed and made by the same company that makes the actual Oscar® and Emmy® statuette.

In the current season of the PR World awards, Concept PR’s Mission Mumbai Local campaign, a social communication drive conducted on behalf of the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), has been adjudged for Gold under the PR Milestone of the Year category.
“We are pleased to inform you that Concept Public Relations India Limited is in the list of winners of 2017 PR World Awards,” said an email from the organizers listing the winners under various categories. Winners will be honored at the 2017 SVUS Red Carpet Awards Ceremony Dinner in San Francisco on Monday, June 26, 2017.

Acknowledging the award, Ashish Jalan, Director and CEO of Concept PR said: “Any form of recognition is both a testimonial of the abilities of the agency as well as a motivator for the agency to perform even better. A global award at that and the fact that we are the only Indian agency to figure in the list of winners is indeed a great honour. This recognition is a direct result of a team which has grown from strength to strengthand has a right balance of experience, expertise and enthusiasm. I would like to thank M B Jayaram for having faith in Team Concept to be their partner in this social communication campaign.”

B N Kumar, executive director of Concept PR who spearheaded the campaign said: “My team is extremely happy to get the good news. This latest win amply proves that teamwork plays a big role in achieving desired results in a communication campaign. We also thank all our media friends for highlighting the issues raised by us in the campaign – from the need to improve the frequency of suburban trains to new railway stations to meet increasing commuter pressure.”

“PRCI has launched the campaign to highlight the fact that over ten people die daily on Mumbai suburban tracks due to various reasons such as running across platforms and tracks and hanging by overcrowded trains. This has been admitted in an official report by the railways which we effectively used to design our messaging on the need to improve the suburban railway infrastructure,” said M B Jayaram, Chief Mentor and Chairman Emeritus of PRCI.

About the PR World Awards
PR World Awards® is the world’s premier public relations and corporate marketing awards programme created to honor and recognize industry-wide and peer achievements and best efforts of agencies and in-house public relations, marketing, corporate communications, investor relations, and business development professionals, teams, departments, and achievements. The Annual PR World Awards is part of the SVUS Awards® recognition program from Silicon Valley in the United States of America which also includes other programs such as CEO World Awards, Consumer World Awards, Customer Sales and Service World Awards, Golden Bridge Awards, Globee Fastest Growing Private Companies Awards, Info Security PG’s Global Excellence Awards, Network Products Guide’s IT World Awards, Pillar World Awards, and Women World Awards. Learn more about the PR World Awards at www.prworldawards.com

About Concept PR:
Concept Public Relations India Limited is part of India’s largest independent Communication network of Concept Group with ten of its own offices, scores of associates, with ability to conduct PR exercise across the 600 districts pan-India. With its motto  ‘Exceeding Expectations, Always’, the consultancy services clients across multiple verticals such as real estate and infrastructure, aviation, pharma and health care, IT & ITES,  large conglomerates, CSR, apart from handling crisis communication and media training. Concept PR has won more than ten awards and recognitions for its outstanding performance viz: Agency of the Year, Crisis Communication, Case Studies and its executive director B N Kumar has been inducted in the prestigious PR Hall of Fame.

No Quick-fix, PR is investment in future

(From Reputation Today)

I think it is time the communicators forget to think Uske Kapde Mere Kapdo Se Zyada Safed Kyun and start telling their bosses and clients to understand the importance of perception building as an early and long-term exercise. You may not be able to get the attention of big media instantaneously, but getting media acceptance is a slow and steady process. A particular newspaper may not enjoy huge circulation, but the editor of a big newspaper does read that so-called small publication for several reasons: to check for stories missed and look for rising stars for future recruitment. This is exactly why reporters often fight for bylines – to get visibility among those who matter – as I did as a cub reporter ages ago!

At the risk of revealing some business secrets, let me say that business houses should not look for instant solutions and not think of PR only as the last resort for using at times of crisis. Like diamonds, Public Relations is forever. The more we polish diamonds, the better they shine. And that is exactly how PR gives you a polished reputation in the long run.

For more, click:
http://reputationtoday.in/views/no-quick-fix-pr-is-investment-in-future/

Blowing Donald’s Trumpet aint no easy!

When Money is Lost Something is Lost

When Reputation is Lost, Everything is Lost

By S Narendra

An international story is playing out of Washington involving the White House that we all are reading as a political story. If we analyse it under the lens of communication and PR, we notice a highly charged case study on Reputation Risk and Redemption Management. This is relevant to all communicators.

Very interestingly, this story is taking place in the janmabhoomi of PR and communication theory and practice. The theater (pun intended) of action is in Washington DC, capital of Madison Avenue, K-street, the Capitol Hill all coming under its nickname – the political beltway, it is also known as the swamp that sucks into its murkiness any and everyone (irrespective of their reputation for integrity and independence of mind), making the job of keeping one’s reputation and public esteem risky.

The news story of Russian espionage during the 2016 US presidential election was supposedly used for swinging it in favour of Republican candidate  Donald Trump. As the FBI was probing the allegation, its chief James Comey was fired by President Trump. Initially, it was explained that the President   had acted on the recommendation of the Deputy Attorney General , Rod Rosenstein who had said in a note that FBI under its  director Comey had not properly  conducted the investigation into the security implications relating to the e-mails of former  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent over a private  server. The e-mails were leaked to WiKiLEAKS allegedly by Russian intelligence,  But  President  Trump contradicted this version in a TV interview and took personal responsibility for  dismissing  FBI chief. He told the interviewer that he had decided to fire Comey even without Rosenstein’s recommendation since FBI was pursuing allegation of links between his election campaign in 2016 and Russia. In one single moment, Rosenstein’s reputation was in tatters,

Rosenstein, was appointed by President Trump as the US deputy attorney general barely a few weeks before  he penned the infamous note on FBI director. Rosenstein had come into the new office with a formidable reputation as a legal  ace as well as for person known for  impartiality and independent mind.  In a previous stint in the Justice department, Rosenstein was appointed by the Republican President G.W.Bush, as a persecutor. He was retained in the post by President Obama. This clearly showed that he was highly respected across the political spectrum for his professional eminence and for his integrity. Therefore, Rosenstein’s note recommending James Comey’s dismissal shocked his admirers in media and legal professionals saw him as buckling under political pressure. The President’s public admission that the FBI director was fired because he was pursuing investigation into alleged links between his election campaign and Russian spying exposed Rosenstein to public ridicule, as Trump’s hatchet man.

Another factor that made Rosenstein position questionable was that as the deputy attorney general he was technically placed  in charge of FBI and its investigation. His boss Jeff Sessions, the AG, had recused himself from overseeing the FBI investigations into Russian spying case, due to his previous business links with Russia. There was huge expectation that Rosenstein would resist political pressure and ensure a fair FBI probe into the case of Russian interference in American poll.  

Media stories had appeared to the effect that FBI director had declined to oblige the President when personally approached   for closing the relevant  probe. This revelation led to demands for impeachment of the President for obstructing justice.

Amidst the turmoil, there were questions about the role of Rosenstein, about the reasons for him to give up his principles that had built his reputation.

This sad saga took a new twist when Rosenstein announced the appointment of a Special Counsel for supervising the FBI probe into Russian espionage. His decision to name a former FBI director, Mueller enjoying enormous respect for his integrity and independence won large measure of support. This step paved the way for Rosenstein  to partially re-establish  his reputation. In the process, Rosenstein did something that every PR person wants to do in a crisis situation. He changed the media headlines. The word ‘impeachment’ of the President   that was gaining ground was buried. The move also restored to some extent the reputation of the American democracy as a credible political system even though presided over by  a whimsical chief executive.

According to media reports, the deputy attorney general had announced the appointment of Special Counsel, without seeking the consent of his immediate boss or the President.

The Author:
Ex adviser to PMs and former
Spokesperson, Govt of India

A commentator in the New York Times summed up the lesson coming out of this story thus: ‘I expect more members of the Trump administration will find themselves under pressure to violate their own principles. I hope they will remember both lesions of Rosenstein saga. Helping Donald Trump isn’t worth your reputation. And you can often recover, at least partially, from your own mistakes.’

Tail piece: Rod Rosenstein   may have recovered his reputation and tried to change the headlines away from impeachment. But President Trump seems hell bent on refuelling the media stories about his attempts to stall the FBI investigations by criticising the appointment of the Special Counsel as political persecution. Tweet after Tweet from the President describing the ongoing probe as ‘Witch Hunt’ keeps alive the controversy.