Feature

NGOs
Department: Public Affairs and Comm./ Communication & Information / Communication wing / Advocacy unit/ External Affairs / Media unit

Designation: Comm. Asstt. /Comm. Officer /Manager PR / Sr. comm. officer / Advocacy officer / Media manager

Govt.: Public Relations

Designation : PRO

Unicef: Information, Education & Communication (IEC)

Designation : Officer IEC/ Head, IEC Unit

Consultancy Firms: Advocacy Unit

Designation: Advocacy Officer

Embassy/ Foreign Missions : Public Affairs/ Press Department

Designation: Program Officer/ Officer, Pubic Affairs / Press Minister

BBC, VOA & other TV Channels : Bengali or Hindi program

Designation: Producer /Assistant Producer/ correspondent

Private/ Multinational: Corporate Affairs (CA) /Public Affairs(PA)

Designation: Officer CA / Manager CA / Manager PA

United Nations: Division of Communication

Designation: Program Officer / Head, Div. of Comm.

PR Qualities
The PR man does require character, fertile imagination and board vision; integrity and courage; cultural and intellectual background; power of analysis and observation; flair for writing; pleasant manners; and ability to understand the organization, its problems and intricacies and the nature of its publics. He should be a good 'mixer' but also have the capacity to keep a secret when necessary. He cannot be a master in every field but he should have a total picture of the organization at his finger tips.

PR, if handled by amateurs, can do more harm than good to the organization. However, persons who have done PR work only on ad hoc basis for short durations and who essentially belong to other disciplines cannot be considered professional PR personnel.

A person may be an excellent writer or a scholar but that alone cannot entitle him to professional PR category. Scholarship and ability to write are welcome qualities in PR profession. But more important than this is the mastery over the techniques of communication and an understanding and appreciation of the needs of the media. Only professional training and long experience in PR work can acquire these qualities.

It is too much to expect from a person, however brilliant he may be, to do well in PR work if he has no professional background or experience in public relations. Even for PR personnel who have journalistic or PR qualifications or who have long experience in the line, it is necessary to periodically explore them to refresher courses so that they acquire self-confidence in their work and also keep themselves abreast of the latest development in the profession.

This is a matter which, according to Shayera, is found at the bottom of the social-reform list of our country. We know more or less that, there are some typical and conventional norms which are to maintain while eating and drinking. These norms are defined as ;table manner; and it is well-discussed in Shayera's article. Surprisingly enough, we tend to escape these norms as if these are out of our business or it is not our cup of tea. Some of us even don't bother to go wild while eating in a invitation.

But, as we know, etiquette always matters. Table manner is connected with one's personality and it makes a great impact on others in determining one's personality from their point of view. There is nothing special in gulping down or filling up our stomach without caring for the surroundings. I think, a little care about table manner can boost the personality of a person in a large extent.

Thanks again to Shayera Maula for coming up with such a worth-to-highlight issue.

Md. Fazle Rabby Haider
Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka.