Generating Publicity For Flora Inn's CSR Essay Supporting People With Special Needs.

Answer the following questions.

Companies need to serve the needs of their customers well to build good corporate reputations. At the same time, their competitors are working hard at building good relationships with stakeholders, beyond just providing good products and services. Today, companies are turning to corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes to give back to society to be more trustworthy in the eyes of their stakeholders. CSR programmes are certainly impactful when the results are aligned with stakeholders’ ideals for what is good for society, the economy and the environment.

For this assignment, you are the public relations manager at a (fictitious) Singapore-based hotel chain, Flora Inn. The hotel plans to roll out a CSR programme to train and hire people with special needs and learning challenges, to work in support functions in the hotel such as kitchen and storeroom operations, and house-keeping support roles. Your task is to generate news publicity for the hotel’s CSR programme.

As you develop your answers for the following questions, you should find out more about the special needs community to come up with good reasons why the hotel chose to support this worthy cause, what it hopes to achieve, and how the special needs community can benefit from such CSR programmes.

1. Identify and discuss what defines news and why news editors may consider some of the reasons for the hotel’s CSR programme to be newsworthy for a news story. Indicate the key constituencies and their concerns, as you answer this question using the features of the CSR programme that you have come up with for the scenario above.
   
   
2. Propose an approach to establish good working relationships with the news media. Your answer should also explain effective ways for you as the public relations manager to reach out to journalists who cover community and CSR news. Your answer should develop media relations strategies for traditional and online news media for the scenario
   
   
3. Write and present a short 400-word backgrounder on the hotel’s CSR programme that can be posted on citizen journalism news site STOMP, or other social media sites. The backgrounder should have a clear focus on the features of the hotel’s CSR programme.

Importance of CSR programs and their impact on society

Aiming to generate a concrete news publicity for the CSR policy of the fictitious hotel chain, Flora Inn, this paper strives to delve deeper into the various issues related to the media agencies and news. The paper will also endeavor to account for the importance of CSR policies to uplift the differently abled citizens. The following paragraphs will endeavor to argue for the importance of establishing proper connections with media agencies, as they are the harbingers of change. The following paragraphs will also try to account for the interest of traditional as well as social media in various CSR policies of the fictitious agency, Flora Inn.

As the term depicts, News refers to the current affairs and ideas that predominate the world (Soroka et al., 2013). News is constituted by information about the ongoing events, massacres and prevalent ideologies. Any change or development in the social, economic or political environment is captured an presented by news editors. Traditional news media consists of discourses (Van Dijk, 2013). News also refers to the information that informs viewers about the various changes and developments in various industries. Mass media, encompassed by print, visual and social or online media is a major agency that enlightens the minds of many. Owing to its emphasis on the current incidents and ideas, it can be said that news editors would prefer to broadcasts about Flora Inn’s CSR policies to generate awareness about the socially aware campaigns that can benefit the disabled and assist them in garnering employment opportunities.

The hotel chain’s CSR policy will garner the attention of the news agencies because it will help the news editors in projecting the changing reality of the world where for-profit hotel chains strive to work for the neglected section of society. News media have undergone a change in their production and focus areas (Ekdale et al., 2015). News editors can be interested in broadcasting the noble CSR policy that has been adopted by the hotel chain. News editors are aware of the fact that the disabled sections in society are often deprived of the basic rights and privileges. The inclusive CSR policy of Flora Inn can assist in alleviating the pains of this section by indulging them in productive activities in the hotel chain. This aspect of the CSR policy about the training and employment of the disabled sections will help the news editors in projecting that even hotel chains can ensure the social fulfillment of the goals and objectives. The key concerns of the news editors are to present news and information that are newsworthy and presents issues that concern the well-being of many people across the cultures. Given their concern with the projection of information for the benefit of others, the news editors will broadcast the future CSR policy to help the people with special needs to face and overturn the challenges of life.

Flora Inn's CSR Program and its significance

Studies reveal that physical disability is considered to be one of the chief factors that lead to marginalization (Rokach, 2014). The key constituencies are the people who are differently abled and require special attention. Their major concern is to devise a way in which they can concretize their goals and inherent abilities to create an indelible mark on the world. The futuristic CSR policy of uplifting the section of society will assist in developing the inherent potential and serve to channelize their collective abilities.

To establish good working relationships with the media, it is necessary to adopt the approach of comprehending the demands and philosophy of the media agencies. While some media houses might prefer to broadcast news about celebrities while others might focus on presenting the stories of real business world and the changes in CSR policies. Aligned to this, the approach will also include enquiring about the type of news that the news media want to cover. This approach will assist in maintaining good working relations with the news agencies. The approach of understanding will also include the aspect of gauging and valuing the time that the media agencies can vest on certain issues. An extremely positive approach can assist in the maintenance of good working relations with the news media. In this way, Flora Inn can advertise and generate awareness about the CSR policy for people with special needs.

For the CSR policy to succeed, it is essential for the hotel chain to establishing proper relationship with the news media that can help in propagating about this CSR policy. Discharging the role of a public relations manager in the hotel chain, I need to propagate policies that help in concretizing the media relations. To reach to the journalists who focus on CSR and social policies, a PR must take into consideration the various factors that contribute in developing the relation. Emphasis needs to be laid on the social media editors who can post about the various policies and news (Wasike, 2013). The chief strategy is to inform the news media about the recent and prevalent news that are most important for the news editors to project. In this context, to establish proper relation with the news media, it is important to inform them about the most important happenings related to the CSR policy. Studies reveal that media relations encompasses the idea of excellence principle (Grunig, 2013). To reach to journalists who cover social and CSR news, the chief strategy is to focus in journalists who can cover the story in a comprehensive and elaborated manner.

Media agencies and role in promoting CSR policies

To develop concrete relationships with the traditional and online media sources, PR strategies must emphasizes on the inclusion of social media (Wang, 2015). This can help in developing and garnering the required appreciation and recipients of the information. Developing concrete relationships with the online media can assist in persuading the commoners. In order to develop concrete relationships with the online media platforms, it is essential to adopt the strategy of proper and transparent communication that enables the various changes to be communicated to the news media and the public (Wang, 2015). Strategies related to the use of blogs and interactive videos in online media can garner the trust of the public.

To develop concrete relations with the traditional media sources, it is essential to adopt the strategy of proper focus on the story or idea that needs to be communicated to the journalists.  I It is important to present the chief areas needs to be accepted and recognized by the public and the media agencies. Even in this case, it is essential to harbor transparency in the case of information. Studies have projected that people are more inclined towards traditional media that is considered to be authentic (Utz, Schultz & Glocka, 2013). Given the context, establishing media relations with traditional media is of utmost importance. To achieve this, the strategy of strategic mediatization needs to be adopted. This refers to the process of blurring the boundaries between  the advertising policies and the media and other traditional media types (Zerfass, Ver?i? & Wiesenberg, 2016). Due to the nature of the CSR policy, strategic mediatization is necessary to inform about the changes that can be brought to society by the inculcation of the CSR policy. This strategy will also help in strengthening the media relation with traditional forms of media.

What is success without social responsibilities? The answer is not in the affirmative. Keeping in mind the importance of social responsibility in the aspect of commercial success, Flora Inn has decided to incorporate the CSR policy that can help the people with special needs and learning challenges to seize the training and employment opportunities that can be explored in Flora Inn. The hotel chain has decided to assist the helpless in garnering the deserved respect and adoration. People with special needs and learning challenges need to be treated as equals by the society. With a view to uplift this section of society, Flora Inn has decided to incorporate and implement the CSR policy that strives to address and relieve the pains of the specially challenged citizens.

Traditional and Social Media's interest in CSR policies

Studies depict that people with special needs are often ridiculed in public spaces (Dreiger et al., 2014). This leads to the perpetration of marginalization and stereotyping. In Singapore, the DPI Singapore Declaration, 1981, declared that people with special needs should be granted equal recognition and help. However, recent studies have projected that in Singapore, 40%-50% suffer from severe learning and behavioral challenges (Wei, 2017).

Flora Inn believes in the fact that no citizen should remain deprived by the societal forces. Therefore, it has decided to roll out the CSR policy that helps people with learning challenges to be employed in the various areas related to room service, kitchen and store operations. It has to be accepted that the persons with special needs and challenges should exercise their rights to create their own identity (Chib & Jiang, 2014). Flora Inn believes that this policy can assist these people in generating a better lifestyle for themselves without any fear of social reprimands and jeers. The hotel chain has chosen this CSR policy to provide equal opportunities and recognition to the persons with special needs and challenges. In Singapore, many people suffer from various kinds of physical and mental impairments. The need of the hour is to generate CSR policies that can help to uplift of the marginalized section of society.

Conclusion

After analyzing the above-discussed ideas, it can be concluded that for the proper propagation of the CSR policy of Flora Inn, it is important to establish proper media relations. It can also be concluded that it is necessary to devise strategies for the maintenance of media relations. In conclusion, it can also be mentioned that the CSR policy for uplifting the people with special needs and learning challenges can prove to be useful when news media propagates about the changes in the CSR policy.

References

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Rokach, A. (2014). Loneliness of the marginalized. Open Journal of Depression, 3(04), 147.

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