Laws Affecting PR

I can see how all of these laws found on the Communications Law Centre website would be applied in the PR industry. More specifically, whether a PR consultant is preparing campaign material, writing speeches, preparing media releases or simply communicating internally most of these laws will need to be abided by. I found that most of the laws outlined on this website further compliment the PRIA Code of Ethics.

Roberta’s Ethical Dilemma

Based on the PRIA Code of Ethics, Roberta will need to act upon her findings. It is good that she has approached a senior member of management and she has tried to address the issue internally first. However, the cheques are still being written which only suggests that nothing has been done about it. Roberta should approach the senior manager again and follow up on her request from the previous time they spoke about this issue. If she is unsuccessful in making a change internally she will need to speak out about this issue as she in breach of ethic number 1.
Roberta will need to remain factual when raising issues with internal and external sources, making sure she does not bring any discredit upon herself, her employer or her clients.

At the end of the day, her company’s clients are living in houses which are simply not safe. Something will need to be done, to protect the safety and welfare of the broader community.

Lobbying and Government Relations, Exercise

This was an interesting PR example to view. It proves the point of having a small team managing and coordinating all the lobbying activities is far more effective than having a larger team doing this. From the beginning, the Wilderness Society had a strong, passionate and dedicated leader who had a sound understanding of what was required to gain maximum exposure of this issue to ultimately save the Franklin River.

The Wilderness Society used all three methods of lobbying thorough the course of this campaign. After failing to gain the outcome they were after through Direct Lobbying efforts with the Stet Government, they continued on with lobbying efforts by adopting the Grass Tops Lobbying method. A number of high profile politicians from around Australia joined the campaign and used their status to influence other community leaders of the same status. This raised the profile of the campaign to the next level and gained masses of media attention.

The lobbyists gained the majority of Australia’s support through Grass Roots Lobbying tactics, large non-violent protests were organised just before a Federal election, publicity was gained and most importantly the soon to be Prime Minister proceeded to make this an election commitment of the new government if people voted them in.

The Wilderness Society was extremely organised and went through all the motions required to gain a positive outcome. They not only stoped the dam being built but went on to have the legislation changed in the High Court to have the Franklin River listed as world heritage.

Sponsorship and Public Relations, Exercise

Australian Confederation of Paediatric and Child Health Nurses

Overall this sponsorship proposal was my most preferred of the three provided. It’s presentation is not as professional as the other, however, all the important aspects of a sponsorship proposal have been addressed without the document being too onerous to read. The packages offered to potential sponsors are diverse which seem to offer a mutual benefit gaining opportunity for both organisations involved. I would be inclined to become a sponsor on the benefits of this proposal.

Fourth International Research Conference

This sponsorship proposal is way too long, there seems to be a lot of background information on the event organisers and the event itself, the information in this segment of the proposal offers to reader more information than they need. The document has loads of white spaces throughout. Overall the language used in this proposal could have been more user friendly and a spell check should have been performed before it went to print. The sponsorship packages offered seem to be reasonable, and plenty of options on offer. I particularly like how they also offer packages by negotiation, however, this could become quite time consuming in pressured environments.

2007 Spring Festival

Likewise, this proposal is quite lengthily and onerous to read. The information provided within the document is not very informative and leaves a lot of information to be guessed by the reader. I would have also liked to of seen a sponsorship application attached, instead of the potential sponsor having to contact Willoughby Council for further instructions. Overall, the presentation of information in this proposal leaves the impression that it is a privilege to be a sponsor and very one sided befits. This proposal could have been more personal by simply replacing references to “YOUR COMPANY” with individual business names.

Using an embargo on a media release.

Working effectively with the media is critical to being an successful public relations officer. When we discuss working with the media in class, the issue of embargoes - how to use them, when to use them - often comes up.

This contentious topic has hit the headlines recently with complaints from a Melbourne-based PR officer that a media outlet knowingly and deliberately broke an embargo on a media release she sent out.

Check out the PRIA coverage of the story: http://www.pria.com.au/resources/list/asset_id/295/cid/350/parent/0/t/resources/title/PR%20Information%20Report%20December%202008 , and also the Crikey report: http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20081118-Embargo-etiquette-MX-screws-homeless-people-to-get-the-scoop.html

What are your thoughts?

J.