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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>The PNP and its public relations troubles and opportunities</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Christopher Burns
Monday, November 13, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>If one accepts that public relations is about creatively highlighting the positives of an organisation or individual while putting the negatives in context, without spin or implicit disingenuousness, then the People's National Party's handling of the public relations issues in the Trafigura affair represents more than a monumental failure.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=70 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Christopher Burns </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>It constitutes an embarrassing display of incompetence in public relations and crisis management. The initial press conference called to address the Opposition's concerns about the Trafigura donation should have happened only after thorough and open discussions, in-depth investigations and skilful strategising.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Likewise, if one agrees that public relations is a planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics, then the government's mismanagement of the fallout from the absurd publication of the prime minister's sketches was equally shameful and highlighted a particular ineptness at reputation and issue management.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But even worse, if one accepts the more generic description that public relations is "the art and science of managing communications between an organisation and its key publics to build, manage, and sustain positive image", then the failure of the PNP to update its website to reflect the leadership change that took place almost nine months ago is tantamount to recklessness and goes far in confirming public perception that Portia Simpson Miller is only the interim leader of that party - she is not even listed among the PNP's top leadership tier on the website.<P class=StoryText align=justify>While some will dismiss this observation as petty, the delay is demonstrative of poor public relations management.
Evidently, the prestige of the PNP, as well as Mrs Simpson Miller's own reputation as the honest leader, has been terribly impugned by this Trafigura issue and sadly, the entire thing continues to look so fishy, it could be served with chips. It is important for the prime minister, even at this late stage, to take an active stance by engaging the media and by redesigning and realigning her own media and public relations strategies in tandem with the demands of the political environment.<P class=StoryText align=justify>While the media will never admit to bias, hardly anyone can ignore the influence of "astroturfers".
Astroturfing is a metaphor for "fake grassroots", and describes public relations campaigns which seek to create the impression of being spontaneous grassroots behaviour.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We see them daily: in letters to the editor under different names but with identical contents, in press releases and on talk shows. However, there are more formal astroturfers in Jamaica than we would care to admit; some with international connections and very effective public relations machinery that enables them to continue sustained campaigns on so-called national issues.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=130 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Christopher Burns
Monday, November 13, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>If one accepts that public relations is about creatively highlighting the positives of an organisation or individual while putting the negatives in context, without spin or implicit disingenuousness, then the People's National Party's handling of the public relations issues in the Trafigura affair represents more than a monumental failure.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=70 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Christopher Burns </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>It constitutes an embarrassing display of incompetence in public relations and crisis management. The initial press conference called to address the Opposition's concerns about the Trafigura donation should have happened only after thorough and open discussions, in-depth investigations and skilful strategising.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Likewise, if one agrees that public relations is a planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics, then the government's mismanagement of the fallout from the absurd publication of the prime minister's sketches was equally shameful and highlighted a particular ineptness at reputation and issue management.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But even worse, if one accepts the more generic description that public relations is "the art and science of managing communications between an organisation and its key publics to build, manage, and sustain positive image", then the failure of the PNP to update its website to reflect the leadership change that took place almost nine months ago is tantamount to recklessness and goes far in confirming public perception that Portia Simpson Miller is only the interim leader of that party - she is not even listed among the PNP's top leadership tier on the website.<P class=StoryText align=justify>While some will dismiss this observation as petty, the delay is demonstrative of poor public relations management. Evidently, the prestige of the PNP, as well as Mrs Simpson Miller's own reputation as the honest leader, has been terribly impugned by this Trafigura issue and sadly, the entire thing continues to look so fishy, it could be served with chips. It is important for the prime minister, even at this late stage, to take an active stance by engaging the media and by redesigning and realigning her own media and public relations strategies in tandem with the demands of the political environment.<P class=StoryText align=justify>While the media will never admit to bias, hardly anyone can ignore the influence of "astroturfers".
Astroturfing is a metaphor for "fake grassroots", and describes public relations campaigns which seek to create the impression of being spontaneous grassroots behaviour.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We see them daily: in letters to the editor under different names but with identical contents, in press releases and on talk shows. However, there are more formal astroturfers in Jamaica than we would care to admit; some with international connections and very effective public relations machinery that enables them to continue sustained campaigns on so-called national issues.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=130 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN