where businesses still operate on "instinct" or according to market trends without their own framework or operating principles.
Returning to the relationship with journalists, the unprofessionalism of QHCC staff is also an obstacle when the two sides establish a working relationship and build it to become increasingly good.
Therefore, enterprises and organizations themselves need to have appropriate and in-depth investment in their public relations department. This brings long-term effectiveness and immeasurable benefits to the enterprise. From improving the qualifications and professional capacity of public relations staff, it will lead to improving the public relations activities of the unit, including building stronger and better relationships with the press.
3.1.5 Goodwill of business leaders and press agencies
In the new media development trend, the relationship between public relations staff and journalists is increasingly open and friendly. To keep up with this trend, business leaders and press agencies also need to have a positive and progressive awareness of the importance of the relationship between public relations staff and reporters and journalists.
For business leaders, it is necessary to set out a clear and correct press relations strategy, invest a certain amount of money in this activity and ensure that this investment is commensurate with the scale of business development of the enterprise. More importantly, business leaders need to create conditions in terms of time and space for PR staff to strengthen their relationships with journalists. On the other hand, for leaders of press agencies, they should gradually eliminate negative comments about the enterprise and support the above relationship, create conditions for journalists to have more access to information sources from the enterprise, participate in activities with the enterprise to enhance mutual understanding.
While conducting a survey of people in the public relations and press industry on the issue “In your opinion, what measures are there to help build and develop the relationship between public relations staff and journalists to become more “affectionate” and beneficial to the work of both parties?”, the thesis received many valid and valuable opinions. The issue that most people are interested in and emphasize in this relationship is sincerity, honesty, care and mutual respect.
Opinion 1: “Like any other relationship, if you want to maintain a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship, both sides should consider the relationship as a friendship. When both sides understand and try to bring benefits to each other instead of being wary of each other, the relationship will gradually bring benefits. In addition, it is also necessary to regularly care for and maintain the relationship between the two sides. This is similar to planting a perennial fruit tree.”
Opinion 2: “The word “Love” here needs to be properly regulated, on the basis of not taking advantage of each other or of one’s own position. The word “Love” must be based on the principles of communication, journalism, professional ethics and responsibility to the community.”
Opinion 3: “For PR staff, building good relationships with journalists will help facilitate the PR needs of the businesses they serve. However, it is necessary to be frank and honest about information. Exaggerating the truth and relying on the word "love" to work will not only affect the reputation of the business but also the reputation of the journalist. Maintaining each other's reputation is one of the principles that need to be respected, regardless of the level of emotional relationship.”
Opinion 4: “This relationship is very susceptible to negativity, therefore, QHCH staff should not take advantage of this relationship to provide false information or "force" journalists to communicate well for the business. Journalists should not lose their "ego" because of personal relationships while informing the public.”
Opinion 5: “The most effective measure is sincerity, openness, trust and cooperation... will create a friendly relationship.”
In addition to the main factors mentioned above, to build a close relationship between QHCC staff and journalists, it is necessary to apply the following methods:
Be honest with the information provided . To start a good relationship, the business itself must also have a commitment and demonstrate its goodwill through the honest information provided to the press. It can be said that, in today's fiercely competitive environment, every business wants to rise up, wants to highlight its image to best serve the search for sales and profits, so there will be many businesses using many "tricks" to provide information that is beneficial to themselves and disadvantageous to their competitors. This invisibly makes it difficult for the press, when they have to verify the information again, and if it really happens that businesses are dishonest when providing information, then surely the journalist will "go away forever". Therefore, honesty in this situation is appropriate, the QHCC staff and the journalist can discuss to find common ground in handling the information provided by the business. However, on the contrary, QHCC staff as well as businesses themselves need to be alert to requests for information or information released by journalists to ensure their rights and reputation.
Create clarity about the process and requirements when working with the press. Clarity is always the basis for successful work, especially with the press, clarity is always necessary when businesses want to satisfy their requirements. Be bold in discussing and making as specific requests as possible from the business and receive feedback from the journalist to see how they can meet and respond. Before each job, both parties should have a common voice and should also have some document or tool as evidence when accepting the product.
Gradually eliminate negative perceptions about businesses . The distortion of QHCC when introduced into Vietnam during the past time, the community
With the mixed opinions about QHCC from the Western perspective, it has inadvertently created a bad impression of society in general and the press in particular about enterprises. This is true to some extent for enterprises that do not have a proper QHCC development strategy or do not care about investing in QHCC. The rest of the enterprises today - at least learn from previous enterprises, many invest heavily in the QHCC apparatus - all have very professional operating principles. Therefore, if journalists still have a bad impression of enterprises, it will be very difficult to approach and build relationships with each other. Moreover, many journalists often have their own personalities, most of them are very straightforward people, respect professional ethics, they are allergic to being "entangled" with enterprises or being bothered by enterprises. Therefore, there needs to be more openness and a proper assessment of the business's attitude before accepting or starting to build a relationship with the business, which will be represented by the QHCC staff.
From another perspective, to build a good relationship with the press - journalists requires business leaders to properly assess the importance of public relations in the business, from which to have the right strategies and methods for public relations of their business. Especially, understanding the importance of building a good, long-lasting relationship between the business and the press.
3.2 How to moderate the negative impact of the "emotional" factor in the relationship between public relations staff and journalists
In the process of building a close relationship between QHCC staff and journalists, besides the positive factors that create benefits for both sides, the "romance" factor between them creates negative effects.
Through the survey question "In order not to lose the meaning of this relationship, in your opinion, how should public relations staff and journalists restrain themselves?", the thesis obtained results as a basis for proposing solutions to restrain these negative aspects:
87
Moderate solutions to preserve relationships
good between QHCC staff and journalists
Number of votes | Proportion | |
Both sides always show goodwill to cooperate. together | 47 | 50.5% |
Both journalists and public relations staff should not show too much ego. | 7 | 7.5% |
Don't go too deep into private life as well as the work of the other party | 25 | 26.9% |
Other | 7 | 7.5% |
No comments | 7 | 7.5% |
Total | 93 | 100% |
Maybe you are interested!
-
Focus on Assessing the Capacity and Management of Business Leaders: -
How Interested Are Press Agency Leaders in the Tccnn Media? -
Suitable waste business management model for Vietnam - 13 -
Completing the organization of accounting for revenue, sales costs and determining business results at Hai Phong Paint Joint Stock Company - 1 -
Business registration under Vietnam Enterprise Law - Current situation and some recommendations - 1
Table 3.4: Moderate solutions to maintain good relationships between public relations staff and journalists
Both sides always show goodwill to cooperate with each other . This option was chosen by 50.5% of survey participants (including QHCC staff and journalists). Although this factor is quite qualitative, it is clear that it is the basis for building an increasingly better relationship. This goodwill is shown in caring about the other side's opinions and providing ways to help both sides in all work.
Do not delve too deeply into the other person's private life or work . This option was chosen by 26.9% of respondents. The relationship between public relations staff and journalists at a close level sometimes does not distinguish between public and private. In addition to exchanging and solving work together, they also share personal problems. However, showing too much interest or deeply participating in private life is counterproductive in the process.
88
build a relationship between both sides. In addition, personal feelings and private matters always need to be kept in a certain range to ensure the "sobriety" of both sides, not affecting work decisions.
A small number of opinions (7.5%) believe that, in the process of building relationships, both QHCC staff and journalists should not show too much ego . This shows that they have awareness of an equal relationship between the two sides, so both sides respect each other.
One of the other really important solutions is to maintain professional principles and ethics . Journalist Tran Hong Hanh shared: “If a journalist is not moderate with PR, PR will not respect him. Journalists need to be moderate and maintain ethics if they still love their job and have self-respect for their job”. The reality of Vietnam's media environment still has many shortcomings, many people in the PR profession do not have a clear distinction and deep awareness of building a long-term relationship with the press, often making mistakes in their behavior or expressing excessive desires to journalists. They think that journalists only need a thick envelope to help businesses solve everything. This further hurts journalists and certainly the relationship between them and PR staff cannot improve.
On the other hand, QHCC staff Nguyen Thi Cam said that journalists need to be more impartial in their work and eliminate negative comments about QHCC staff that they only put the interests of the business first and underestimate the relationship between the two sides [Appendix 2.5, p.94].
To moderate the negative aspects of this relationship, PR staff themselves must be more objective when working and communicating with journalists. “PR should provide accurate information and express wishes in a respectful manner.
"Be frank but respect the journalists' feedback if it is not as expected" - journalist Nguyen Thu Huong advised [Appendix 2.2, p.91].
Chapter 3 Summary
Based on the results of the actual survey and opinions obtained from in-depth interviews, the thesis proposes solutions to strengthen the relationship between QHCC staff and journalists to become closer and more durable.
First of all, it is necessary to regularly meet and maintain contact with the press, creating conditions for meetings at suitable locations to increase intimacy and naturalness, not necessarily the editorial office or company office. Regarding communication channels, QHCC staff can regularly read journalists' articles, other information posted on the journalist's blog or social networking sites, and can participate in comments to increase the level of intimacy in the relationship. In addition, maintaining the gift-giving and timely visits on holidays/New Year's or personal events of journalists is also a way for QHCC staff to deepen this relationship.
Another important solution is to build trust, control, satisfaction, commitment and face-saving for this relationship according to the guidelines in the studies of major media houses in the world.
A very basic but necessary factor is that both sides must respect and understand each other's profession so that they can be willing to share and sympathize during the process of cooperation and work resolution.
On the other hand, the capacity and qualifications of each QHCC staff and journalist also need to be improved and enhanced to be more skillful and flexible in their work.
communication between the two sides. In order for the relationship to develop, the leaders of the business and the press agency themselves need to have a positive and correct perspective and create conditions for public relations staff as well as journalists to have more confidence in the relationship they are maintaining.
These solutions are highly feasible and have been proven by the practice of this relationship in other Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, etc. However, the most important issue to have this intimacy and "love" is that it must come from a sincere desire to build a good relationship from both QHCC staff and journalists.