Knocking Heads
March 19, 2008 by haziamyperspective
What a morning it has been. I was away for a 2-day course & came in today to find a shocking email from my alumni association yahoo group email. The Exco member has called for a press conference this afternoon. The topics:
1) To show support to an MP calling the PM to step down
2) To highlight Malays in Penang and NEP
3) To talk about our silver jubilee
I blew my top and replied:
Referring to the email on ’sidang media’ below, may I ask whose idea this is? Were the 3 pointers mentioned in the media invitation? I am a PR Consultant and I would say that this will generate a reactive media statement (not proactive & planned). It would be damaging to the organisation’s image. Why mix our Silver Jubilee with political issues? Have you consult a PR professional? A PR exercise should be image-driven, not feelings-driven. Since the press conference (PC) is today, it’s too late for me to say anything but if you care for my opinion, please call me at xxx.
I felt like knocking these people’s heads. They’re like children running around without supervision. Alumnus don’t get entangle in political issues. It’d be unwise for me to go since I work with a GLC but several ’so-called thugs’ my batch will go and knock these people’s heads for me. I’ll be waiting for their report later today. LOL!
The incidence generated a trail of emails from inactive members, most were furious. An association cannot re-present the political stand of all its members. A call from a committee member an hour later infuriated me further. It turned out that even committee members were not kept in the loop. I wrote another email:
May I ask you the following questions?
1) What are you trying to achieve from this press conference?
2) Have you organise a PC / deal with the press before?
3) Who is the spokesperson for this PC? Has he/she been trained by a PR expert to become the official media spokesperson?
4) Who wrote the press release for this PC? Can you share the content with us?
What was the thinking behind this initiative? Was it even discussed & thought through? It seems to me like:
1) you are trying to provoke racial tension
2) you are using a ‘cheap gimmick’ to promote our Silver Jubilee
3) you are making use of a sensational current topic to ’stir up’ the association members and gain their interest.
Whatever the reason, it shows poor judgement and could be damaging to the association and members. Let’s hope no media turn up today…
(to be continued)
