Public Relations in Government
Content
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Public Relations in Government
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The Indian Perspective
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Lecture by:- Prof J Jethwaney
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Government PR is crucial but at the same time very demanding. The government has to inform the people at large about its policies, programs and futuristic actions. In times of disasters, the quantum of communication increases manifold. The government often is put under scanner by many stakeholders, media being the foremost. The elected representatives form the government that is for a fixed term and there is no denying that at times its PR efforts are criticized for being populist. PR functions in GovernmentTo keep the public informed of the government policies-Give citizens an opportunity to express themselves.To enlighten citizens about the working of the government and to inform them of their obligations-To educate public on legislation, regulation and related matters. In India, PR is pursued at the following levels: Village Panchayats Municipalities State governments Central government
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PR in PanchayatsIndia has more than six lakh villages, accounting for more than 70% population. Panchayats are elected by the entire adult population of a village. Women occupy 33% seats. In villages the mode of communication generally is oral. PR in Municipalities MCs operate in cities and towns. They are in charge of local self government functions. There are about 1800 municipal councils and 50 municipal corporations. Not all these outfits have formal PR departments. One finds information on education campaigns run by municipal corporation from time to time on various themes like health, sanitation, hygiene etc. PR in state governmentState governments constitute the third level of governance. There are 36 states and union territories. All the state governments and union territories have PR set ±up. Each state has information/PR officers also at the district levels. Their basic function is to create a bridge between the government and the public. They use various kinds of media including folk media to reach out to the public. PR in Central Government
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The central government constitutes the fourth and the most important level of governance. PR here is handled by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The ministry has many media units and autonomous institutions under it. MOI&B is responsible for development and regulation of information, broadcasting and film sectors in the country. The information sector is regulated by the Press Council of India. It administers ethics and inculcation of self regulation among newspapers. It performs its functions primarily through adjudications on complaints received by it either against the press for violation of journalistic code of ethics or by press for interference with its freedom. Media units under Ministry of I&BPress information bureau Photo division Registrar of newspapers Research, reference and training division Publication division Directorate of audio visual publicity Directorate of field publicity Song and drama division PrasarBharti (Doordarshan and All India Radio) Film division National film development corporation Central board of film certification National films archives Children film society Training Institutes in Mass CommunicationFilm and Television Institute (Pune) Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (CAL) Indian Institute of Mass Communication (ND) Press Information BureauPIB is the nodal agency of the central government to disseminate information in press and electronic media on government policies, programs, initiatives and achievements. It uses press releases, press notes, feature articles, backgrounders, press briefings, photographs, press conferences, interviews, database, press tours etc. Its regional and branch offices act as nodal information officers for all offices of the union government in their area and coordinate information and publicity for them. PrasarBhartiIt is the public service broadcaster in the country with AIR and DD as its constituents. Its major objective is to uphold the unity and integrity of the country and its values as enshrined in the constitution by promoting national integration, safeguarding citizen¶s rights and to be informed on all matters of public interest. Research and Reference DivisionSet up in 1945, R&RD functions as an informationserving agency. It studies trends in mass communication, media and maintains reference and documentation service on mass communication.
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Photo Division The division is created for lending visual support for the varied publicity activities of GOI. Publication DivisionThe PD is a repository of books and journals highlighting national importance and India¶s rich cultural heritage. It publishes books in English and Hindi as well as in all major Indian languages at affordable prices. Itswell read journals include Yojna and Kurukshestra.
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Central board of film certification Its job is to certify films for public exhibition. It consists of a chairperson and 25 members from the field. National Film Development Corporation ltd. It encourages the concept of low-budget films, which are high in quality. The corporation in collaboration with CII organized Film Bazar in Goa during 36th IFFI
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Directorate of film festivalsIts objective is to promote good cinema. Its range of activities include the following: -organizing international film festival of India -conferring national film awards and the Dada SahebPhadke Award -cultural exchange of programs through its missions abroad -the selection of India panorama -participation in international film festivals -special film exposition on behalf of GOI -print collection and documentation. National Film Archives of India The center attempts to collect and archive photographs, stills, song-booklets, wall posters, pamphlets and other publicity matter of films certified by the censor board. Children Film SocietyIts main objective is to provide value-based entertainment to children through the medium of films. It produces, acquires, distributes and exhibits children films. It also organizes children film festivals. DAVP It is the nodal multi-media agency of the GOI to meet its publicity requirements and help other ministries in a cost-effective manner. It has 3000 newspapers and periodicals in 22 languages in its panel for releasing ads. It produces audio visual material on social national themes for broadcast. It organizes exhibitions, brings out variety of literature from time to time. Its mass mailing list has 16.5 lakh people from across the spectrum who receive literature from DAVP. Directorate of Field Publicity It broadly deals in interactive media like group discussions, seminars/symposia, public meetings, elocution contests etc to reach GOI¶s messages across a cross section of people especially in the far and remote areas. It works on what is called µTalking points¶ or the themes that are given to the disseminators.
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Song and Drama Division It was established to tap the resourceful live media, especially the folk form for planned publicity. It puts up about 40,000 shows each year across the country, involving over 10,000 artists. It has 12 regional centers. Role of Media in Democracy Media has been articulating the voice of the masses. It¶s so powerful that even government takes media messages seriously. Take the example of CWG corruption cases. They were unearthed only by the media and now the government is under pressure to act on the corruption charges. No government today can ignore media. Democracy, in fact, sustains on a free media. As Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said that he would rather prefer a strong critical media than a spineless one. But then media has its own agenda. It many times toes the line of the political bosses and even plays into the hands of its corporate bosses. Politics and media in a way crossfertilize each other. Critical Issues - From critics¶ perspective: Allegations of toeing the line of the government and party in power Lack of creativity Inefficiency Wastage of tax payer¶s money. Issues from Government¶s perspective Regulation versus self control Content regulation The government has set up a Task Force (TF) to take a call on regulation of media, especially the news channels. The TF is holding hearings in major cities to understand the views of various stakeholders including broadcasters, NGOs, cable operators etc. The TF is chaired by I& B Minister and includes representation from The Indian Broadcasters Foundation (IBF), The national Broadcasters Association (NBA), and Broadcasting editors¶ Association (BEA).
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Public Relations Lecture by:-Dr J Jethwaney Public Sector and the role of PR In India, public sector has played an important role in the economic development of the country. Almost two hundred years of British colonial rule had played havoc with our industry and completely exhausted our resources. It was time to build an economy which was in shambles. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, after independence, had a major task cut out for him. Based on socialistic principles and ideologies, he soon realized that political freedom without economic freedom was of little use. Therefore, under the special acts of legislature, or registered under the Companies Act, 1956, the public sector was created to give a boost to Indian economy. With the emergence of Public sector, there were major public investments in banks, financial institutions,
insurance companies, defense enterprises, and transport undertakings. Even the railways and airways were repositories of massive public investment. What comprises Public Sector? A public sector comprises of state ± owned projects and enterprises dealing with production, delivery and allocation of goods and services. However, there is at times a vagueness as to what all comprises a public sector. Some people even consider the public services as a part of PSUs. Definition of Public Sector Units ³Any activity of the government whether central, state or local, involving manufacturing or production of goods including agriculture or making available of services for a price. Such activity being managed either directly or through an autonomous body with the government having a majority ownership is called a public sector enterprise.´ Ethos It is expected of the PSUs to lay more stress on µpublic interest¶ against the µlogic of profit¶. Until the beginning of the decade of 1990s, when the liberalization of Indian economy began, profit making by a PSU was considered as an anathema. It was less concerned with making profits but more on the nation-building activities. Also, there were huge investments in sectors like power, energy, oil, railways, roads etc. where adequate returns would have taken time to come. Huge public investments were pumped in these sectors basically to bolster the economic growth of the country. Public Sector: A changed paradigm
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Today public sector in India has investments worth 10 laccrores. There are 23 lac employees directly employed in various PSUs. Its product and service range touch almost all aspects of our life. PSUs were born as a pro-choice of the government of India at the time of independence. The economy was in shambles when the British raj ended.
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On the whole makes profit, however, about one third of its units are going in loss constantly. Public sector and planning The pillars of Indian economy have been its planning through its five-year plans. The first Five Year Plan First plan (1951-1956) addressed mainly on the growth and development of agriculture sector. It also laid stress on the development of mother industries especially in infrastructure and logistics. Projects like the Damodar Valley Cooperation, Sindhri Fertilizers and Chemicals, Indian Telephone Industries, Hindustan Machine Tools, steel plants, aircrafts, shipbuilding, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Oil and Natural Gas Commission, and a host of others came up. The 2nd Five Year Plan (1956-1961) The second phase saw mainly three trends, a nationalization spree, and takeover of sick units from the private sector, and entry of the public
sector in heavy industry, hydroelectric power projects and steel mills at Bhilai, Durgapur, and Rourkela were established. Coal production was increased. More railway lines were added in the north east The Atomic Energy Commission was formed in 1958. During this period government also undertook the control of many private sick units. Several hundred life insurance companies were absorbed into the Life Insurance Corporation. Hundreds of coal mines were transferred to the Coal Mines Authority. Many private textile sick units were taken over by the government and converted into one big public service enterprise, the National Textile Cooperation.
The 3rd and fourth five Year Plan (1961 to 1974) saw the nationalization of banks. It gave boost to agriculture thus resulting in the Green Revolution and self sufficiency in agricultural production. Many fertilizing industries too came up during this period. India also performed the Smiling Buddha underground nuclear test in 1974. Fifth and 6th plan (1974-1985) laid the foundation of major power projects like NTPC, Hydro electric power etc., This phase also saw oil and gas explorations, oil drilling. Mid 80s saw the government asking the PSEs to go public. Various PSUs entered the primary market and raised their IPOs. Telecom, IT industry got a fillip in the early 90s and in the current decade.
(Even today the PSUs are considered as a milking cow for the government. Political vested interests, collective bargaining, trade unionism, Swadeshi lobby through its rallies and dharnas against the so called µAmerican Imperialism¶ have often marred the interest of public sector enterprises. Railways is the fine example of political vested interests. Every Railway minister has, as a priority¶ extended railway tracks to his/ her home state and has introduced new trains for his constituency. MamtaBanerjee during her first railway budget had special package for her home state-West Bengal. Political objectives with business and vested interests, an indomitable bureaucracy and finally populist pressures have played against the interests of the PSUs). As the saying aptly puts, ³The king is dead. Long live the king,´ political bosses come and go but business (PSUs) remains as usual. SWOT Analysis of PSUs I· · · · · · · Strengths Largest employer of workforce. Massive investment Touches every aspect of life Profit making ± not the primary motive Has network in the length and breadth of the country. Has ventured into difficult and hazardous areas and terrains. Has contributed in making the primary market and has attracted small investors. (Coal India has the largest no of subscribers) II Weaknesses Idle workforce
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Lack in accountability Rampant corruption Political interference Does not attract best of talent Bureaucratic high handedness Increasing trade union activities No high on quality Lack in discipline Decisions often governed by the whims and fancies and desires of political bosses. Time and cost overruns A laid back attitude of employees. (Media has projected PSE as a monolithic, corrupt and non profitable body. For them PSUs have been the best boys to be beaten). Opportunities
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A great potential to rise on the occasion, for e.g., ONGC. Changing mindset of the employees and a growing professional work culture. (For example the changing face of petrol pumps in the metros. Petrol pumps not just sell petrol and gas but also keep attractive goods to attract more customers). Has the best of machinery and some dedicated manpower. Can mobilize opinions in its favors with facts and figures. Threats
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Major threat comes from the political system which has created it. Employees¶ attitude remains unchanged. A regimental and rudimental bureaucracy Public Sector and PR issues
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It doesn¶t have a strong voice. Like the FICCI, PHDCCI, CII, ASSOCHAM actively voice the concerns of the private sector. There is SCOPE (The Standing Conference of Public Enterprises) Has not lived up to its expectations and is more like an extension of the government department. Media sensitization through good corporate communication department (so that they are no longer considered as monolithic).
y
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Government should allow the PSUs a platform to express their concerns and grievances.
y
Encourage healthy competition among the PSUs. (Coal India created history in Nov 2010 when its IPO was over subscribed more than 15 times).
y
CSR activities are a must for the public sector enterprises. Every PSU gives 4 per cent of its revenue for CSR activities. By adopting villages, creating awareness on various national, regional issues, diseases, hygiene, water etc, they help in the process of nation building. It¶s time to give back to society what they have taken from them.
Laws and Ethics in PR and Advertising Some Insights
Lecture by: Prof J Jethwaney Advertising and Public Relations are both important ingredients in the marketing mix. The brand building needs both advertising and PR¶s endorsements. Both the professions are governed by laws and have code of ethics. Public and PR PR deals with public hence communication is basic activity. Public is both rational and emotional, hence sensitivity is the key word both in verbal and written communication. A good hang of the code of ethics governing the profession of PR and laws concerning it would also go a long way in the career of a PR professional. Various laws pertaining to PR Although there are no specific laws governing PR, same rules and regulations which are applicable to Journalism as a profession, apply on Public Relations as well. Law of Defamation Any wrong done by a person to another¶s reputation by words, signs or visible representation. This concerns the publication of a statement that purports to bring into disrepute the reputation of a person, organization or product. In English law, there are two types of defamation:
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Libel Slander
What is Libel? Libel is any false statement about a person. Defense of Libel If the writer can prove that what he has written has a documentary proof or while criticizing someone¶s work, it¶s restricted to the work without malafide intentions. (Examples: Maneka Gandhi vs. Khushwant Singh; Sir John Elton sued The Guardian; Dr Simon Singh sued by British Chiropractic Association) Slander
It is very much like libel. While libel is written, slander has to be spoken. It becomes a slander when a third party hears it. (Exception: privilege of immunity enjoyed by parliamentarians in India) Can a corporate be defamed? The reputation of a corporate is not different than of an individual. A corporate can be defamed by an employee, media or a competitor. And it has all the right to sue those it feels have defamed it. (Under the power of Right to Information, many employees have tried to defame their employers) Invasion of Privacy There is no statutory enactment expressly of warning of general right of privacy to Indian citizen but elements of this right traditionally contained in the common law which are recognized by the Courts of India. Ex: Lady Diana, Nicole Kidman against Jamie Fawcett and Jacqueline Kennedy- Galileo etc. Those handling hospital PR have to be cautious of this especially with regard to minors. (Hospitals like Apollo, Fortis have flourishing medical tourism. In order to maintain the privacy of patients who are terminally ill, any information on their medical status is kept secret. Especially where celebrities are concerned, their information on health is often released through medical bulletins issued by the chief medical officers. In the matters concerning minors, hospitals cannot issue any information without the prior permission of their parents). Copyright Act The Act grants the copyright owner/ creator exclusive right on the original work till his/her lifetime and 50 years after hiss/her death. After which the people can use the work/ adapt it without seeking any permission. (Ex: After the expiry of 50 years of copyright on Tagore¶s work, the VisvaBharati demanded an extension of copyright from the Union government in 1990. On their demand, the government extended the copyright for another 10 years on Tagore¶s precious works) PR Ethics PR ethics are governed by the y y
The code of professional ethics. Conscience and training of PR professional.
The PRSI (The public relations society of India) has adopted the code of Athens prepared by the IPRA (International Public Relations Association) in 1965. The code is based on Universal Declaration of Human Rights of Man (UN, Dec, 10, 1948) Some Salient Features A PR professional must not:
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Subordinate truth to other condition. Not to disseminate information not corroborated for factual accuracy.
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Not to lend assistance to any enterprise which might harm the morality, integrity, honesty and dignity of the human race.
Some Postulates
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To encourage free circulation of information. To deserve the confidence of all those one comes in contact with. To be inspiring in public and private conduct. Must respect and uphold the dignity of human person. To recognize the right of parties involved by explaining their point of view.
³Article 19(A) of Constitution: ³All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.´ The Companion Act 19 (2) qualified the right by providing the state with imposing reasonable restrictions. In 1960, the Supreme Court in the case of HamdardDawakhana v/s Union of India ruled that a distinction needed to be made between commercial advertising and propagation of ideas. It was the latter form of advertising the court said that could legitimately claim full protection of Article 19(10) (A))´.
Public Relations in Government
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The Indian Perspective
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Lecture by:- Prof J Jethwaney
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y
y
Government PR is crucial but at the same time very demanding. The government has to inform the people at large about its policies, programs and futuristic actions. In times of disasters, the quantum of communication increases manifold. The government often is put under scanner by many stakeholders, media being the foremost. The elected representatives form the government that is for a fixed term and there is no denying that at times its PR efforts are criticized for being populist. PR functions in GovernmentTo keep the public informed of the government policies-Give citizens an opportunity to express themselves.To enlighten citizens about the working of the government and to inform them of their obligations-To educate public on legislation, regulation and related matters. In India, PR is pursued at the following levels: Village Panchayats Municipalities State governments Central government
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PR in PanchayatsIndia has more than six lakh villages, accounting for more than 70% population. Panchayats are elected by the entire adult population of a village. Women occupy 33% seats. In villages the mode of communication generally is oral. PR in Municipalities MCs operate in cities and towns. They are in charge of local self government functions. There are about 1800 municipal councils and 50 municipal corporations. Not all these outfits have formal PR departments. One finds information on education campaigns run by municipal corporation from time to time on various themes like health, sanitation, hygiene etc. PR in state governmentState governments constitute the third level of governance. There are 36 states and union territories. All the state governments and union territories have PR set ±up. Each state has information/PR officers also at the district levels. Their basic function is to create a bridge between the government and the public. They use various kinds of media including folk media to reach out to the public. PR in Central Government
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The central government constitutes the fourth and the most important level of governance. PR here is handled by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The ministry has many media units and autonomous institutions under it. MOI&B is responsible for development and regulation of information, broadcasting and film sectors in the country. The information sector is regulated by the Press Council of India. It administers ethics and inculcation of self regulation among newspapers. It performs its functions primarily through adjudications on complaints received by it either against the press for violation of journalistic code of ethics or by press for interference with its freedom. Media units under Ministry of I&BPress information bureau Photo division Registrar of newspapers Research, reference and training division Publication division Directorate of audio visual publicity Directorate of field publicity Song and drama division PrasarBharti (Doordarshan and All India Radio) Film division National film development corporation Central board of film certification National films archives Children film society Training Institutes in Mass CommunicationFilm and Television Institute (Pune) Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (CAL) Indian Institute of Mass Communication (ND) Press Information BureauPIB is the nodal agency of the central government to disseminate information in press and electronic media on government policies, programs, initiatives and achievements. It uses press releases, press notes, feature articles, backgrounders, press briefings, photographs, press conferences, interviews, database, press tours etc. Its regional and branch offices act as nodal information officers for all offices of the union government in their area and coordinate information and publicity for them. PrasarBhartiIt is the public service broadcaster in the country with AIR and DD as its constituents. Its major objective is to uphold the unity and integrity of the country and its values as enshrined in the constitution by promoting national integration, safeguarding citizen¶s rights and to be informed on all matters of public interest. Research and Reference DivisionSet up in 1945, R&RD functions as an informationserving agency. It studies trends in mass communication, media and maintains reference and documentation service on mass communication.
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Photo Division The division is created for lending visual support for the varied publicity activities of GOI. Publication DivisionThe PD is a repository of books and journals highlighting national importance and India¶s rich cultural heritage. It publishes books in English and Hindi as well as in all major Indian languages at affordable prices. Itswell read journals include Yojna and Kurukshestra.
y y
Central board of film certification Its job is to certify films for public exhibition. It consists of a chairperson and 25 members from the field. National Film Development Corporation ltd. It encourages the concept of low-budget films, which are high in quality. The corporation in collaboration with CII organized Film Bazar in Goa during 36th IFFI
y
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Directorate of film festivalsIts objective is to promote good cinema. Its range of activities include the following: -organizing international film festival of India -conferring national film awards and the Dada SahebPhadke Award -cultural exchange of programs through its missions abroad -the selection of India panorama -participation in international film festivals -special film exposition on behalf of GOI -print collection and documentation. National Film Archives of India The center attempts to collect and archive photographs, stills, song-booklets, wall posters, pamphlets and other publicity matter of films certified by the censor board. Children Film SocietyIts main objective is to provide value-based entertainment to children through the medium of films. It produces, acquires, distributes and exhibits children films. It also organizes children film festivals. DAVP It is the nodal multi-media agency of the GOI to meet its publicity requirements and help other ministries in a cost-effective manner. It has 3000 newspapers and periodicals in 22 languages in its panel for releasing ads. It produces audio visual material on social national themes for broadcast. It organizes exhibitions, brings out variety of literature from time to time. Its mass mailing list has 16.5 lakh people from across the spectrum who receive literature from DAVP. Directorate of Field Publicity It broadly deals in interactive media like group discussions, seminars/symposia, public meetings, elocution contests etc to reach GOI¶s messages across a cross section of people especially in the far and remote areas. It works on what is called µTalking points¶ or the themes that are given to the disseminators.
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Song and Drama Division It was established to tap the resourceful live media, especially the folk form for planned publicity. It puts up about 40,000 shows each year across the country, involving over 10,000 artists. It has 12 regional centers. Role of Media in Democracy Media has been articulating the voice of the masses. It¶s so powerful that even government takes media messages seriously. Take the example of CWG corruption cases. They were unearthed only by the media and now the government is under pressure to act on the corruption charges. No government today can ignore media. Democracy, in fact, sustains on a free media. As Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said that he would rather prefer a strong critical media than a spineless one. But then media has its own agenda. It many times toes the line of the political bosses and even plays into the hands of its corporate bosses. Politics and media in a way crossfertilize each other. Critical Issues - From critics¶ perspective: Allegations of toeing the line of the government and party in power Lack of creativity Inefficiency Wastage of tax payer¶s money. Issues from Government¶s perspective Regulation versus self control Content regulation The government has set up a Task Force (TF) to take a call on regulation of media, especially the news channels. The TF is holding hearings in major cities to understand the views of various stakeholders including broadcasters, NGOs, cable operators etc. The TF is chaired by I& B Minister and includes representation from The Indian Broadcasters Foundation (IBF), The national Broadcasters Association (NBA), and Broadcasting editors¶ Association (BEA).
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Public Relations Lecture by:-Dr J Jethwaney Public Sector and the role of PR In India, public sector has played an important role in the economic development of the country. Almost two hundred years of British colonial rule had played havoc with our industry and completely exhausted our resources. It was time to build an economy which was in shambles. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, after independence, had a major task cut out for him. Based on socialistic principles and ideologies, he soon realized that political freedom without economic freedom was of little use. Therefore, under the special acts of legislature, or registered under the Companies Act, 1956, the public sector was created to give a boost to Indian economy. With the emergence of Public sector, there were major public investments in banks, financial institutions,
insurance companies, defense enterprises, and transport undertakings. Even the railways and airways were repositories of massive public investment. What comprises Public Sector? A public sector comprises of state ± owned projects and enterprises dealing with production, delivery and allocation of goods and services. However, there is at times a vagueness as to what all comprises a public sector. Some people even consider the public services as a part of PSUs. Definition of Public Sector Units ³Any activity of the government whether central, state or local, involving manufacturing or production of goods including agriculture or making available of services for a price. Such activity being managed either directly or through an autonomous body with the government having a majority ownership is called a public sector enterprise.´ Ethos It is expected of the PSUs to lay more stress on µpublic interest¶ against the µlogic of profit¶. Until the beginning of the decade of 1990s, when the liberalization of Indian economy began, profit making by a PSU was considered as an anathema. It was less concerned with making profits but more on the nation-building activities. Also, there were huge investments in sectors like power, energy, oil, railways, roads etc. where adequate returns would have taken time to come. Huge public investments were pumped in these sectors basically to bolster the economic growth of the country. Public Sector: A changed paradigm
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Today public sector in India has investments worth 10 laccrores. There are 23 lac employees directly employed in various PSUs. Its product and service range touch almost all aspects of our life. PSUs were born as a pro-choice of the government of India at the time of independence. The economy was in shambles when the British raj ended.
y
On the whole makes profit, however, about one third of its units are going in loss constantly. Public sector and planning The pillars of Indian economy have been its planning through its five-year plans. The first Five Year Plan First plan (1951-1956) addressed mainly on the growth and development of agriculture sector. It also laid stress on the development of mother industries especially in infrastructure and logistics. Projects like the Damodar Valley Cooperation, Sindhri Fertilizers and Chemicals, Indian Telephone Industries, Hindustan Machine Tools, steel plants, aircrafts, shipbuilding, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Oil and Natural Gas Commission, and a host of others came up. The 2nd Five Year Plan (1956-1961) The second phase saw mainly three trends, a nationalization spree, and takeover of sick units from the private sector, and entry of the public
sector in heavy industry, hydroelectric power projects and steel mills at Bhilai, Durgapur, and Rourkela were established. Coal production was increased. More railway lines were added in the north east The Atomic Energy Commission was formed in 1958. During this period government also undertook the control of many private sick units. Several hundred life insurance companies were absorbed into the Life Insurance Corporation. Hundreds of coal mines were transferred to the Coal Mines Authority. Many private textile sick units were taken over by the government and converted into one big public service enterprise, the National Textile Cooperation.
The 3rd and fourth five Year Plan (1961 to 1974) saw the nationalization of banks. It gave boost to agriculture thus resulting in the Green Revolution and self sufficiency in agricultural production. Many fertilizing industries too came up during this period. India also performed the Smiling Buddha underground nuclear test in 1974. Fifth and 6th plan (1974-1985) laid the foundation of major power projects like NTPC, Hydro electric power etc., This phase also saw oil and gas explorations, oil drilling. Mid 80s saw the government asking the PSEs to go public. Various PSUs entered the primary market and raised their IPOs. Telecom, IT industry got a fillip in the early 90s and in the current decade.
(Even today the PSUs are considered as a milking cow for the government. Political vested interests, collective bargaining, trade unionism, Swadeshi lobby through its rallies and dharnas against the so called µAmerican Imperialism¶ have often marred the interest of public sector enterprises. Railways is the fine example of political vested interests. Every Railway minister has, as a priority¶ extended railway tracks to his/ her home state and has introduced new trains for his constituency. MamtaBanerjee during her first railway budget had special package for her home state-West Bengal. Political objectives with business and vested interests, an indomitable bureaucracy and finally populist pressures have played against the interests of the PSUs). As the saying aptly puts, ³The king is dead. Long live the king,´ political bosses come and go but business (PSUs) remains as usual. SWOT Analysis of PSUs I· · · · · · · Strengths Largest employer of workforce. Massive investment Touches every aspect of life Profit making ± not the primary motive Has network in the length and breadth of the country. Has ventured into difficult and hazardous areas and terrains. Has contributed in making the primary market and has attracted small investors. (Coal India has the largest no of subscribers) II Weaknesses Idle workforce
·
· · · · · · · · · · ·
Lack in accountability Rampant corruption Political interference Does not attract best of talent Bureaucratic high handedness Increasing trade union activities No high on quality Lack in discipline Decisions often governed by the whims and fancies and desires of political bosses. Time and cost overruns A laid back attitude of employees. (Media has projected PSE as a monolithic, corrupt and non profitable body. For them PSUs have been the best boys to be beaten). Opportunities
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A great potential to rise on the occasion, for e.g., ONGC. Changing mindset of the employees and a growing professional work culture. (For example the changing face of petrol pumps in the metros. Petrol pumps not just sell petrol and gas but also keep attractive goods to attract more customers). Has the best of machinery and some dedicated manpower. Can mobilize opinions in its favors with facts and figures. Threats
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Major threat comes from the political system which has created it. Employees¶ attitude remains unchanged. A regimental and rudimental bureaucracy Public Sector and PR issues
y
y
It doesn¶t have a strong voice. Like the FICCI, PHDCCI, CII, ASSOCHAM actively voice the concerns of the private sector. There is SCOPE (The Standing Conference of Public Enterprises) Has not lived up to its expectations and is more like an extension of the government department. Media sensitization through good corporate communication department (so that they are no longer considered as monolithic).
y
y
Government should allow the PSUs a platform to express their concerns and grievances.
y
Encourage healthy competition among the PSUs. (Coal India created history in Nov 2010 when its IPO was over subscribed more than 15 times).
y
CSR activities are a must for the public sector enterprises. Every PSU gives 4 per cent of its revenue for CSR activities. By adopting villages, creating awareness on various national, regional issues, diseases, hygiene, water etc, they help in the process of nation building. It¶s time to give back to society what they have taken from them.
Laws and Ethics in PR and Advertising Some Insights
Lecture by: Prof J Jethwaney Advertising and Public Relations are both important ingredients in the marketing mix. The brand building needs both advertising and PR¶s endorsements. Both the professions are governed by laws and have code of ethics. Public and PR PR deals with public hence communication is basic activity. Public is both rational and emotional, hence sensitivity is the key word both in verbal and written communication. A good hang of the code of ethics governing the profession of PR and laws concerning it would also go a long way in the career of a PR professional. Various laws pertaining to PR Although there are no specific laws governing PR, same rules and regulations which are applicable to Journalism as a profession, apply on Public Relations as well. Law of Defamation Any wrong done by a person to another¶s reputation by words, signs or visible representation. This concerns the publication of a statement that purports to bring into disrepute the reputation of a person, organization or product. In English law, there are two types of defamation:
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Libel Slander
What is Libel? Libel is any false statement about a person. Defense of Libel If the writer can prove that what he has written has a documentary proof or while criticizing someone¶s work, it¶s restricted to the work without malafide intentions. (Examples: Maneka Gandhi vs. Khushwant Singh; Sir John Elton sued The Guardian; Dr Simon Singh sued by British Chiropractic Association) Slander
It is very much like libel. While libel is written, slander has to be spoken. It becomes a slander when a third party hears it. (Exception: privilege of immunity enjoyed by parliamentarians in India) Can a corporate be defamed? The reputation of a corporate is not different than of an individual. A corporate can be defamed by an employee, media or a competitor. And it has all the right to sue those it feels have defamed it. (Under the power of Right to Information, many employees have tried to defame their employers) Invasion of Privacy There is no statutory enactment expressly of warning of general right of privacy to Indian citizen but elements of this right traditionally contained in the common law which are recognized by the Courts of India. Ex: Lady Diana, Nicole Kidman against Jamie Fawcett and Jacqueline Kennedy- Galileo etc. Those handling hospital PR have to be cautious of this especially with regard to minors. (Hospitals like Apollo, Fortis have flourishing medical tourism. In order to maintain the privacy of patients who are terminally ill, any information on their medical status is kept secret. Especially where celebrities are concerned, their information on health is often released through medical bulletins issued by the chief medical officers. In the matters concerning minors, hospitals cannot issue any information without the prior permission of their parents). Copyright Act The Act grants the copyright owner/ creator exclusive right on the original work till his/her lifetime and 50 years after hiss/her death. After which the people can use the work/ adapt it without seeking any permission. (Ex: After the expiry of 50 years of copyright on Tagore¶s work, the VisvaBharati demanded an extension of copyright from the Union government in 1990. On their demand, the government extended the copyright for another 10 years on Tagore¶s precious works) PR Ethics PR ethics are governed by the y y
The code of professional ethics. Conscience and training of PR professional.
The PRSI (The public relations society of India) has adopted the code of Athens prepared by the IPRA (International Public Relations Association) in 1965. The code is based on Universal Declaration of Human Rights of Man (UN, Dec, 10, 1948) Some Salient Features A PR professional must not:
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Subordinate truth to other condition. Not to disseminate information not corroborated for factual accuracy.
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Not to lend assistance to any enterprise which might harm the morality, integrity, honesty and dignity of the human race.
Some Postulates
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To encourage free circulation of information. To deserve the confidence of all those one comes in contact with. To be inspiring in public and private conduct. Must respect and uphold the dignity of human person. To recognize the right of parties involved by explaining their point of view.
³Article 19(A) of Constitution: ³All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.´ The Companion Act 19 (2) qualified the right by providing the state with imposing reasonable restrictions. In 1960, the Supreme Court in the case of HamdardDawakhana v/s Union of India ruled that a distinction needed to be made between commercial advertising and propagation of ideas. It was the latter form of advertising the court said that could legitimately claim full protection of Article 19(10) (A))´.
