PR Milestone

On 30th October 2006, we have possibly passed a milestone in public relations. The press release turned the century. It is believed that Ivy Lee, who is also considered to be the father of modern public relations, created the first press release for his client, the Pennsylvania Railroad. This was following an accident on October 28, 1906, in which 50 people lost their lives when a three-car train met with an accident at Atlantic City. Lee convinced his clients to distribute a public statement on the accident and even take the journos on the accident site through a special train.

The New York Times is believed to have commended this approach of openness and published this press release, verbatim, in their 30th October 1906 issue with the header, 'Statement from the Road'.

Trust and honesty indeed is the hallmark of public relations; as someone has rightly said that truth is not a substitute for public relations. And that is the truth that all of us in the profession must appreciate and practise. CJ

National PR Awards

Public Relations Society of India invites entries for the Public Relations National Awards 2006, on the occasion of the 28th All India Public Relations Conference being held at Lucknow.

Entries are invited from PR agencies/consultants/advertising agencies in the categories of House Journals, Bulletins/Newsletters, e-newsletters, corporate campaign, mass awareness campaign, PR in action case study, etc.

Please get in touch with Dr. Ajit Pathak, National President, PRSI, for sending your entries,
drajitpathak2002@yahoo.com, pathaka@iocl.co.in

Rashtriya Gaurav Award to PRSI National Vice President North

Mr. Rajesh Kumaar, the National Vice President (North) of Public Relations Society of India., has been honoured with the prestigious Rashtriya Gaurav Award-2006 on 29thOctober 2006 in the 14th Akhil Bhartiya Hindi Sahtiya Samaroh
The award has been conferred on him for his his book on Public Relations, 'Jansampark -Sashakth Bhartiya Avdharna'. and outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Hindi language, and literature.
Congratulations from the PR community.

Empowering Citizens through Consumer Protection Act

After the Rights to Information Act, it is now the turn of Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The government has initiated a big move to enlarge the scope of the Act where any consumer can approach it for deficiency in services, even those relating to the public service utilities, and seek redressal. This is to empower the citizens further to seek quality service and even restraining the service companies like the mobile companies, from sharing your data with others for commercial purposes.

This throws a great challenge for the public relations practitioners in every organisations, who must prepare themselves to conduct regular internal audit for the services their organisation offers to their consumers and set up early warning systems for possible fallout of any deficient or incomplete service.