Lobbying is Ethical. (P.8,4,14,11)

What is lobbying?

Most people think they know what lobbying means, but this field is one where the definition is part of the controversy. One clear definition is offered in the "Principles for the Ethical Conduct of Lobbying" developed by Georgetown's Woodstock Center: Lobbying "means the deliberate attempt to influence political decisions through various forms of advocacy directed at policymakers on behalf of another person, organization or group."

What does lobbying have to do with ethics?

Periodic scandals make many Americans skeptical about the role of lobbying in a democracy, but the right to try to influence legislation is protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people "to petition the government for a redress of grievances." This protection assumes that people should be involved in the decisions that affect them and that advocacy for a variety of causes is a crucial part of good decision making.

What ethical dilemmas does lobbying present?

Since the ethical foundation of lobbying is the vigorous public debate necessary for informed decision making, ethical dilemmas related to lobbying tend to arise when various behaviors by lobbyists and lawmakers undermine the fairness and transparency of that process and do not contribute to the common good.

Fairness

The most obviously unethical (and illegal) practice associated with lobbying is paying a policy maker to vote in a favorable way or rewarding him or her after a vote with valuable considerations. If this practice were allowed, people and organizations with money would always win the day. But even with outright gifts to lawmakers outlawed, there are subtler ways to "buy" undue influence. As we write, Congress is debating lobby reform that would disallow lobbyists paying for congressional travel and lavish meals. Local officials are faced with similar temptations-tickets to games or concerts, dinners in expensive restaurants, etc.

Fairness questions also arise when some lobbyists have easier access to lawmakers than others. Frequently discussed is the problem of revolving door lobbyists-those people who once served as public officials who then go into the private sector and work to influence their former colleagues. In addition to relationships with lawmakers, they may, for example, still have access codes to offices, use lawmakers' exercise facilities, or otherwise have easier entrée to the corridors of power.

Other kinds of relationships besides collegiality may undermine fairness. Especially on the local level, policy makers are often lobbied by people they know socially. It is incumbent upon public officials to avoid influence that might arise out of their friendships.

Transparency

One way to improve the fairness of the lobbying process is to make sure that possible sources of influence are visible to the public. This goal is behind various state and federal requirements that lobbyists register and file reports on the issues they have discussed with lawmakers. Various proposals have been offered to strengthen these transparency provisions, increasing the frequency of reporting and the number and variety of organizations that qualify as lobbyists. On the local level, some groups are calling for access to lawmakers' appointment books so that the public can see who they met with and what they discussed.

At the federal level, transparency has come up in reference to "earmarks." These are provisions benefiting particular industries or organizations that lawmakers insert into appropriations bills, often at the behest of lobbyists who have made significant campaign contributions. These earmarks are usually added at the last minute so that other members of congress do not have sufficient time to study them. Some reformers have advocated increasing transparency by requiring that earmarks-and the names of their sponsors-be published online at least 24 hours before a bill comes to a vote.

Common Good

Lobbyists are advocates. That means they represent a particular side of an issue. According to the Thomson Gale Legal Encyclopedia,

The role lobbyists play in the legislative arena can be compared to that of lawyers in the judicial arena. Just as lawyers provide the trier of fact (judge or jury) with points of view on the legal issues pertaining to a case, so do lobbyists provide local, state, and federal policymakers with points of view on public policy issues.

But what is the lobbyist's obligation to be fair to the other side? In the advocacy model, lobbyists may do anything on behalf of their clients as long as it is not outright immoral or illegal. Jesuit political scientist Thomas Reese, S.J., himself a former lobbyist, argues that this model does not always translate well in the public sphere. In a courtroom, two equally powerful attorneys go before an impartial judge. In the halls of Congress or the State Assembly or City Hall, the lobbyist often represents powerful interests, while the people have no representative. An ethical approach to lobbying must ensure that someone stands up for the common good. Lawmakers have an obligation to solicit the views of those who are not represented by powerful lobbying groups.

What is Event Planning? (P.4,1,7,13)

What is Event Planning?

Here’s a very basic, but thought provoking question that we're asked all the time - What is Event Planning? We polled our industry experts to get their perspectives and opinions. Here are four of the most interesting and candid responses we got:

The "Industry definition"

Event planning is the process of managing a project such as a meeting, convention, tradeshow,  ceremony, team building activity, party, or convention. Event planning includes budgeting, establishing timelines, selecting and reserving the event sites, acquiring permits, planning food, coordinating transportation, developing a theme, arranging for activities, selecting speakers and keynotes, arranging for equipment and facilities, managing risk, and developing contingency plans.

The "Official definition" (US Dept of Labor)

Event Planning consists of coordinating every detail of meetings and conventions, from the speakers and meeting location to arranging for printed materials and audio-visual equipment.
Event planning begins with determining the objective that the sponsoring organization wants to achieve. Planners choose speakers, entertainment, and content, and arrange the program to present the organization's information in the most effective way. Meeting planners are responsible for selecting meeting sites, prospective attendees and how to get them to the meeting.

An optimist’s view

Event planning is the energizing art of choreographing people and activities in order to create a show that creates memories of a lifetime. Designing and producing an event, whether it‘s a meeting, corporate event, fund-raiser, tradeshow or any other event, is in many ways comparable to directing a live stage performance. An added bonus, for those who love to travel, it provides an amazing opportunity  to travel to luxurious hotels, interesting new places and meet speakers and attendees from around the world. All of this, while enjoying a high level of autonomy and independence!

A pessimist’s opinion

Event Planning is the stressful work of planning meetings or events, and can be a very demanding career choice. Planners must multi-task on several things at one time, face numerous deadlines, and orchestrate the activities of many diverse groups of people. Meeting planners may need to travel extensively to attend meetings and to visit prospective meeting sites. Work hours can be long and irregular, and working more than 40 hours per week is fairly common, especially during the time leading up to an event and wrapping up after the event. Finally, be prepared for some physical activity - long hours of standing and walking, carrying of boxes of materials, and is just the beginning!

Public Relations and Media Relations: What’s the difference?(P.4,1,13)

Public Relations and Media Relations: What’s the difference?

It’s easy to confuse the two concepts.  When most of us think of public relations, we think of the PR professionals who are skilled at getting coverage for our organizations in print, on the radio or on TV. Traditionally, that was the most effective way to put our companies and our message in front of the public.  That is no longer true. And, that is why understanding the difference between media relations and public relations becomes even more important.

Even before the Internet era, there was a nuanced difference between public relations and media relations.  Media relations specifically involve building strong relationships with writers, producers, reporters, and editors who are in a position to cover your company.  A PR practitioner who is trusted and respected by those media folks can pick up the phone and always get a hearing–and often get a story for their client.

Public relations always involved the bigger picture.  Public relations is all about how your organization is perceived by the community at large.  This would include the press but also embraces your customers, your prospects, members of the business community, and your fellow human beings.  In this regard, it has always been critical to run a business in an ethical and authentic way so that the public perception of our business is positive.  It has always been essential that our employees treat our customers well.  It has always been essential that we understand our customers and provide solutions that are meaningful to them.  Those are all fundamental underpinnings of good public relations.

Traditionally, a strong media relations campaign was the most effective approach to generate positive publicity, which, in turn, would lead to a positive perception of our company.  Other than our one-on-one dealings with customers and prospects, there was no other effective tool in our marketing arsenal.

The Internet has changed the rules of public relations

David Meerman Scott’s book, The New Rules of Public Relations and Marketing, makes us understand that the Internet enables us to reach out globally without needing the traditional media to make a connection. Moreover, as David emphasizes, when we think of media, we need to think beyond traditional media outlets toward the world of bloggers and podcasters, as well.

When your marketing dollars are limited, you can still create an effective, content rich website that can serve as your public relations foundation.  Because the vast majority of buyers today will go to your website to learn about you and your company, you now have the opportunity to create the same positive perception in their minds that a media relations campaign might have created in days past.  

Does this mean that traditional media is unimportant?  No.  As a matter of fact, if you have a strong web presence that includes a website, a business blog, and an eNewsletter, you have already begun your media relations campaign.  That’s because traditional media reporters and editors are scouring the Internet for information, resources, research, and news.  Thus, if you can position yourself on the web as a thought leader by virtue of your content marketing strategy, you are much more likely to be sought out by the press. I’ll bet that your public relations advisors would second this idea. After all, if you have a powerful web presence, it makes their job a heck of a lot easier.

PRESS RELATIONS (P.4,1,13)

PRESS RELATIONS

Public relations can't function without the press. PR professionals spend most of their day maintaining existing relationships and cultivating new ones with journalists and other members of the mass media. Journalists are bombarded with press releases -- the Los Angeles Times receives hundreds a week. Reporters are most likely to pay attention to those from a trusted source.

For a PR person to win that trust, he issues press releases targeted to the journalist's "beat," or expertise. Press releases should read like actual stories, not just bullet points extolling the client's virtues. There has to be something truly newsworthy about the release or it will be ignored.

Technically, journalists don't need press releases and PR contacts to do their jobs, but it can make the task of filling a daily newspaper or nightly news broadcast much easier. A well-written press release with a real news hook can translate directly into a story, saving a journalist valuable time tracking down sources and assembling facts.

In a perfect PR world, clients never make mistakes and the press never asks for information that isn't on the official statement. But when the media comes calling, PR departments and publicists are the first line of defense.

It's a hard fact of life for the PR professional. You crave media attention when the news is good and flee from the spotlight when things go bad. As we discussed earlier, a good PR department will have a plan in place and a skilled spokesman on hand to make sure that the press hears something other than the classic "No comment."

If a client feels a newspaper is misrepresenting the facts, the PR professional does have some weapons in his arsenal. One option is to write an Op-Ed piece telling the client's side of the story and submit it to the newspaper for publication.

If the newspaper won't accept the editorial, another option is something called an advertorial. Advertorials are paid advertisements that look and read like a regular Op-Ed piece in a newspaper. Different newspapers have different policies about what kind of information can appear in a paid ad, but many will simply print an advertorial with a special banner that's says "advertisement." Ethical or not, studies have shown that readers still have a hard time distinguishing between advertorials and regular editorials.

What is a MEDIA VEHICLE? (P.4,5,13.)

Definition: Media Vehicle

A media vehicle refers to a specific method of media chosen by a business to deliver advertising messages to its target audience. The first step is to pick a suitable media class, that is, a general category of media, like radio, television, the Internet, newspapers or magazines. This is followed by selection of the right media vehicle, such as a specific radio station, television channel, online website or print publication. The aim is to reach the target consumer group and receive a good response to the advertising messages from the group.

The different kinds of media vehicles have been explained below:

a. Broadcast Vehicles: This includes television and radio stations. Such vehicles can be used to target mass audiences, and the cost per target is low. They are more effective than print media as the ads include audio and video. They can be effectively used for low involvement products because of short ad durations and lack of excessive detail-sharing. Television vehicles in India include networks such as STAR India, Network 18, Zee Network, UTV and so on. Sometimes, small businesses can not afford to advertise on national networks, and so they often associate themselves with local network affiliate stations, or radio vehicles.

b. Print Vehicles: Newspapers are also feasible for small businesses owing to relatively low ad costs. Both national newspapers and community newspapers (that can reach a local audience) are good options. Magazines are not quite as accessible for small businesses as they cater to a niche audience and cost per target is therefore high. However, some regions have local magazines that offer community events, entertainment and themed topics.

c. Digital Vehicles and Others: Online or digital/interactive vehicles along with mobile communication opportunities provide low cost advertising options. Other supportive media vehicles include directories, buses, billboards and benches. These are usually used to reinforce messages that have been delivered through broader mass media. Billboards are comparatively expensive, but they have a very wide reach.