PR Society of America has
launched a major initiative aimed at getting chapters to speak out on current
crises and issues as a way of obtaining visibility for national, chapters and
the PR industry.
Mary
Beth West |
Mary Beth West, of Mary Beth West Consulting,
Maryville, Tenn., advocacy chair, conducted an hour-long teleconference for chapters
on the issue May 24 assisted by Michael Cherenson, former advocacy chair.
Chapters
were cautioned to avoid mentioning names of either individuals or companies, one
reason being that PRSA members or their employers might be involved.
They
were also advised to check with national before making any statements to the press
involving national issues or controversies.
"Don't make an example
of the company," West told the teleconference.
Speak in "generalities"
about how PR can address the problem in "a strategic way," she said.
"Avoid finger-pointing," she advised.
West said
chapters should follow the examples given on advocacy by PRSA chair and CEO Rhoda
Weiss. Weiss Spoke on
JetBlue
Weiss, on Feb. 22, eight days after a storm affected
more than 100,000 passengers of JetBlue, announced she was available for interviews
on the crisis. Her press advisory on that day said organizations should "quickly
address the problem, determine how to fix damaged relationships, and communicate
honestly through the media to address stakeholder issues and concerns."
She
said the problems of the airline industry caused by the storm "speak volumes"
on the need for every organization to "create and maintain an adequate crisis
plan."
When the Don Imus controversy broke in April after he made
a remark about the Rutgers women's basketball team that resulted in him being
fired, Weiss on April 16 put out an advisory that said: "Apologies can be
the most effective means to repair damaged relationships resulting from obvious
errors of human judgment."
Chapters on the call were told that
Weiss has been "positioned" as someone who can provide a commentary
on a given issue. The idea is to "get the media to call Rhoda," said
West, noting there is a detailed bio of Weiss attached to her advisories that
"goes on and on."
Newspeople can see her background and credentials,
noted West.
Chapters should appoint chairs but even better would be
to have full committees in place, she said.
A "password-protected"
area of the PRSA website may be set up so advocacy chairs could share ideas, she
said.
On the subject of replying to attacks on PR that appear in the
press, West said chapters should use their own judgment. She noted there was just
such an attack in the May 23 Washington Post but felt that responding would
be "a waste of time because it would not change the reporter's opinion of
PR." West talked of the need to "develop guidelines" for chapter
advocacy efforts.
Bolton's
Severance Pact Sought
Weiss and other elected leaders as well
as staff members of PRSA conducted two teleconferences with chapter, section and
district leaders May 22.
Presentations by leaders lasted bout one hour
on each call and only a couple of questions were asked at the end of the calls.
A
member asked when details of former COO Catherine Bolton's severance agreement
would be made public. John Colletti, former CFO of PRSA who retired earlier this
year, said the details would be in IRS Form 990 to be filed in "mid-June."
Another
member wanted to know the cost of sending an additional member to the "Leadership
Rally" each June in New York. Colletti said it was $400 and that was as low
as PRSA could make it.
The Rally costs PRSA between $80,000 and $115,000,
he said, depending on how many attend. Chapter presidents-elect each get $500
in expense money to defray the cost of their attendance.
Up until 1985,
when the board cancelled it, there was a Spring Assembly during which delegates
discussed and voted on issues.
In a move to attract members, national
is currently picking up the new members' cost of joining the local chapter.
The
teleconference was told that Mary Graybill has completed a 60-page study guide
for the APR exam and a further guide that answers questions about the Readiness
Review part of the APR process is being prepared. |