Community Relations

“In today's environment of public suspicion, gaining and maintaining public consent to operate has become an on-going, top management concern for most businesses and large organizations. Community relationships are effectively maintained primarily through engagement with various publics and audiences within the community and your organization.

It is often stated that community relations are "public relations at the local level" or that it is "living right and telling about it." It has also been explained as "having and keeping friends in the community."

Community relations is the function that evaluates public attitudes, identities the mission of an organization with the public interest and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”

Quoted from

Cohn, M. n.d. The Importance of Community Relations. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Public-Relations/216/The-Importance-of-Community-Relations.html (accessed December 21, 2009).


Community relations is undoubtedly part of PR and I can see that Swinburne Sarawak did a good job in this aspect.

Last Wednesday, Swinburne Sarawak donated six used computers to Perkata Special School as part of its annual community service projects. Nadeha, who was the head of delegation, had assigned me as the reporter and photographer for this occasion. Wow, what a great chance to learn and expose!

I really have to say that my journalism knowledge did help a lot when it came to interviewing and photographing. Nadeha also offered useful advice on how to catch a newsworthy angle and... Not to forget the 5W1H!

Present to set up the computers were technical staff from our information technology (IT) department.


Left: Swinburne's IT staff, Mr James Bong
Middle: Perkata's teaching staff
Right: Perkata's Principal, Ms Doreen Tie

Perkata Special School is a non-governmental school for mentally handicapped children aged from four to 17. Its principal, Ms Doreen Tie said the donation was timely as most of the computers at the school are old and not functioning well.

The one-year-old donated computers will be used as teaching tools to enhance learning for intellectually challenged children.

I had come out with both Chinese and English media releases after the occasion. As usual, David helped to vet through the English version and for Veronica was the Chinese version. I learned another new thing from David.

In Australia, they always use Mr or Ms in the news article. For example, Ms Doreen Tie when it is first mentioned and Ms Tie in the following paragraphs.

In Malaysia, we directly name the interviewee as Doreen Tie when it is first mentioned and Tie in the following paragraphs.

According to David, this is the ‘reporting style’ in Malaysia because the papers want to save as much words as they can. Therefore, Mr and Ms become redundant in this instance.

I think it’s time for me to switch from Australian reporting style to Malaysian style, haha!

My thoughts:
The donation of six used computers may seem trivial to some of the publics. However, it is certainly a way to enhance the reputation of Swinburne Sarawak. More importantly, the message that we are trying to bring out is “care for the disabled” (which is one of the points that I highlight in my media release).

p.s: I found another good article from Martin Cohn , known as “Six Reasons to Give”. Check it out!
click

Jenice
Curtin Bentley