Denise Lawrenece's Talk

Denise Lawrence of UK, Department of Value Education, Brahma Kumari’s World Spiritual University, in her special talk, organized by Global Forum for Public Relations on 24th Dec 2006, here in Hyderabad said we live in a highly materialistic world which compromises and contaminates our life style. The power of materialism has eroded the natural spiritual strength and people are unable to resist corruption, temptation and a variety of addictions.

Narrating her experience in media during her career in UK & US she said that a country like India with its age-old historical background and following the commandments contained in great epics like Ramayana & Mahabharata, which advocated human and ethical values in the normal life has a great potential to take up many practices of the present day including Corporate Communication.

She said that the root cause of any ill was the general spiritual depletion and the need of the hour was to restore spiritual component of a human being and the source of spiritual strength. Such an environment will enable us to integrate the power of spirituality into our social, professional, communication and family approach.

She, therefore, stressed the need for ensuring ethical values in dealing with corporate communication to achieve positive credibility for the organization.

She has co-related these elements to the Golden Triangle set by the Global Forum with regard to Professionalism, Ethics and Spirituality for effective Public Relations.

The chief guest of the programme, Dr. C.V. Narasimha Reddi, Editor of PR Voice, observed that Corporate Ethics and Public Relations Ethics should go hand in hand in gaining organizational credibility. He advised the corporate communicators to bear values and ethics in mind in their day-to-day corporate activity. Quoting the meaning of ‘meditation’ as ‘connection’ he said that the very business of corporate communication is to establish a connection between the organization and its various publics. This way, meditation can be used as a ‘medication’ to overcome stress and strain and to sharpen one’s own skills.
(Contributed by Mr. Y. Babji)

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

28th All India Public Relations Conference

The 28th All India Public Relations Conference, the premier event for the PR practitioners, is being held at Lucknow on 8-10 December 2006. It is important that every PR practitioner in the country joins in and attends this event at Lucknow.
The program and registration details are being sent soon. However, you can block your dates for participation.
Those of us who can help in any way can contact the Chairman/Secretary of the Lucknow Chapter for any help :

Mr. Ratan Mani Lal, Chairman, PRSI Lucknow Chapter
Jaipuria School of Mass Communication,
Vineet Khand, Gomti Nagar,
Lucknow 226 010
Phone: 0522 2300295 / 2394297
Fax: 0522 2394295
email: prsilucknow@rediffmail.com

Mr. Bhuvnesh Agarwal, Secretary PRSI Lucknow Chapter
Phone: 0522 2204706 / 9415017184 / 9849057488.