Flora’s Hotel plans to roll out a CSR programme to train and hire people with special needs to work in support functions needs a lot of publicity to the general public. As a public relations manager it is important to first know more about the special needs community in order to find out if the hotel has chosen to support a worthy cause that can benefit both the hotel the special needs community. In this regard one needs to have a good idea of how to utilizing the various news outlets such as newspapers, word of mouth, printing, electronic communication, broadcasting and others to publicize the initiative. News can be defined as any type of information about current events including reports about social developments, business, economy, education, health, environment among others. The main objective of any news report is to help stimulate the opinion of the population. As a public relations manager it is important to package the hotel’s CSR programme in such a way that it will attract the attention of news editor which will in effect help to publicize it to the general populace. Media companies are regarded to be both barriers and carriers when it comes to CSR initiatives and programs (Sustainability Publications, 2016).
The Newsworthiness of the CSR Programs
What then can make media companies have an interest in the hotel’s CSR initiative? This can only be done when the reasons projected by the hotel with regards to the programme give the news editors something that implies that the CSR programme has the ability to show that the hotel is behaving in an ethical manner and one that can contribute to economic development including the improvement of the quality of life for the said workforce, their families and the society at large. The main thing about people with special needs is that they are a group that has been historically excluded from mainstream society including having access to employment opportunities. This shows a failure of society to utilize the many talents that can be exploited from each and every individual. Society views people with special needs as an individual problem and not a societal responsibility.
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By rolling out the CSR programme for people with special needs Flora Hotel will have demonstrated its commitment to the inclusion of the historically marginalized community. This is a newsworthy initiative that should be of interest to any news editor because it addresses a social issue that has long been ignored. It tackles the issue of diversity, inclusion and marginalization in society. The hotel will demonstrate that it has a solution to this problem which has the ability of improving the life of its workforce and that of the society at large.
The CSR programme by the hotel will introduce the concept of diversity which is an essential element in the success of any business. The inclusion of people with special needs can bring many benefits to a company. This is because the circumstances faced by this group of people have developed unique talents and traits in them. It presents an opportunity to corporate to these groups of people to utilize their talents by demonstrating their creativity, resilience, and determination to succeed in a work environment. By taking advantage of this CSR programme, people with special needs can easily be integrated into the work environment. They will no longer be seen negatively but as valuable members of the company, the family, and the community at large (Dart et al., 2013).
The hotel’s CSR programme rollout is newsworthy to any news editor because it not amplifies and informs the public about an important social issue but also adds value to the topic of social inclusion and diversity at the work place. The programme meets the most basic element of journalism of telling a story with a purpose. It creates a good story for the news editor which will have traction with the general populace because it finds and verifies important social issues and presents it in a way that engages the audience. It is a good story that brings in a fresh dimension to journalism and adds value.
The CSR programme is a unique one because it is told in a way which more important to the audience. It is not the content of the story that is important but how it is told. It is told in such a way that it resonates well with the audience. The audience is more concerned about the plight of people with special needs and how companies are addressing his problem. Through the programme, Flora Hotel demonstrates its commitment in solving this age long problem by taking the initiative to address it for the benefit of the society. Any news editor will be more concerned to know if the story is more comprehensive and complete. This is true of the CSR programme story because it contains more verified information from different sources and viewpoints. It is a story that represents a more reportorial effort and enterprise (Dean, 2019).
Establishing a Good Working Relationship with the News Media
As a PR manager it is increasingly important to build a good working relationship with the media that cover community and CSR news. The first thing is to meet the relevant journalists or media in person in order to get valuable coverage in the press regarding the CSR programme. For online media, it is crucial to always exchange correspondence on a regular basis by seeking relevant information and answering questions that the media requires of you. It is also good to know the operating style and philosophies of any online media that you intend to deal with. It is a good idea to know all the relevant people such as editors and reporters in the media in order to get publicity. It is also good to know the media’s timing by finding out about their deadlines and making sure that all the information required are provided in time. A good PR manager should also find out about the media’s requirements to avoid inconveniencing their busy schedules by keeping in touch through mails and phone calls at appropriate times.
A PR manager should avoid issuing irrelevant press releases and give the media what they want. The story provided should always have a hook or an angle such as how the CSR programme can solve a particular problem and how the audience can relate to it. To avoid missing an opportunity the PR manager should always be on the lookout when the media is likely to be seeking for contributions like what the hotel will be providing. Another important thing is to do interviews with community and CSR news journalists in a professional manner to get coverage for the company. Friendliness and helpfulness are key when doing interviews and avoid being under pressure into responding when not ready. It is, therefore, good to prepare well for any type of interview with journalists by asking them the type of questions they will be posing well in advance. Making notes on important points and preparing well thought out phrases is also crucial in this regard (Marketing Donut, 2019).
Backgrounder of the CSR Programme
The Flora’s Hotel is planning to initiate a CSR programme with the aim of offering training and hiring of people with special needs. This rollout also aims at empowering and offering equal opportunities to all persons irrespective of their abilities or lack of it. The programme will offer employment to these groups of persons in the support functions within the organization. For long, persons with special needs have been marginalized and excluded in accessing employment due to the perception that they are expensive to maintain and that they are not productive enough. This sort of prejudice has hindered the capacity of this group of persons from using all their available talents and gives each individual a chance to be successful in a professional setting. Flora hotel is committed in including diversity in our CSR policies which will forever change the stereotype of companies as being greedy enterprises and gain back respect among all stakeholders and the community at large. Offering employment opportunities to people with special needs not only improves their quality of life and that of their families but also helps in solving critical social problems.
Diversity is an essential element for companies’ success. Particularly, the inclusion of people with disabilities can be extremely beneficial for the company. The inclusion of people with special needs in the business world is a cause that the Flora hotel will continue to pursue for the general well-being of the community. The company is cognizant of the fact that people with special needs are faced with challenges when entering the workforce. It is in this regard that Flora Hotel wants to change the narrative by making it easier for this group of people to access the same opportunities as any other person in the society. With this CSR programme, the company aims to minimize such problems as growing unemployment, rising competition, access to training and education opportunities and prejudices at the workplace. It aims are restoring self-worth and self-esteem to this group of people through the programme. This type of initiative has the ultimate objective of giving back to the community by improving the quality of life for each individual irrespective of their station in life. This is an endeavor that will bring back respect, honor, prosperity, and development to the community at large. Flora Hotel is an equal opportunity employer that respects the rights of each individual in the community. The CSR programme for people with special needs will bring back hope and make them productive members of the community once again.
References
Dart , N., Francuz , B., and Graziosi , F. (2013). Damaged Goods? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Right to Inclusion of Persons with Physical Disabilities. Humanity in Action . Retrieved https://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledgebase/538-damaged-goods-corporate-social-responsibility-csr-and-the-right-to-inclusion-of-persons-with-physical-disabilities.
Dean, W., (2019). What makes a good story ? American Press Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/makes-good-story/
Marketing Donut. (2019). Building relationships with the media. Retrieved from: https://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/pr/building-relationships-with-the-media/building-relationships-with-the-media-overview
Sustainability Publications (2016). Good News & Bad the Media, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development. Retrieved from: https://sustainability.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sustainability_good_news_bad.pdf
