Press - Business: Companionship for Community Benefits

- Nguyen Minh Man, Head of Press Dept, Vietravel Co Ltd:

The press is a narrow segment of the present media because a company needs many other tools such as television, radio, online network and social networking. Currently, the newspaper is still playing an important role in daily life because Vietnamese people are characteristically keen on reading newspapers in the morning while they sip some drinks like coffee. When the coffee is still a drink, printing newspaper will still have a position in the heart of the Vietnamese people.

First, the company and the press always have mutual assistance. If the press serves readers with company information and social events, the company, in return, wants to transmit its latest information to potential and regular customers in the quickest way on newspapers.

 

The relationship between the company and the press is a two-way interaction. Businesses always need to the press to collect information and understand the situation of product and service popularity. Conversely, the press also needs businesses to write out articles and gather information. Activities of the company and the press look to the country's socioeconomic development.

 

- Hoang Truc Lam, Head of Client Service, VIET DRAGON COMMUNICATION:

The press is always an important partner in the life and career of a communications expert. This is similarly important for businesses. This can be seen as a mutually supportive relationship, like bread and butter. However the digital media trend has been changing the mode of communication and sharing. The birth and development of social networks and digital media tools have generated a new sort of ‘journalist’ - all updating, using and joining online communications.

The development of journalism and its future roles, especially in Vietnam,need to be deeply weighed up.

The press has always public support and it has heavy influence on all activities of a company. Not all companies realise it and treasure public opinion until they have a crisis to deal with. On the other hand, the very social influence makes the press a valuable close ‘ally’ if companies have a good understanding and awareness.

 

Arguably, PR is a general concept to describe the relationship between a business with the community and the society, including the authorities, residences and the press. PR instruments help businesses get closer to the "public" thanks to active contacts. With PR tools, the community can quickly capture information from companies. Meanwhile, PR information is always guaranteed “journalism principles and standards”: responsiveness, accuracy, accountability, publicity and integrity.

 

In general, to ensure the content, a PRman, or a company, must understand how the press is working, what it wants and whether there are any problems and worries. Then, PR experts must know how to connect the needs of the press and their needs to combine the purposes of both sides.

 

Working for the mutual benefit in accordance with the law and for the benefit of the community, then the press and the businesses will go tougher.

 

To glorify this bilateral relationship, cooperate in the doi moi (reform) process of the country's economy, the press and businesses need to be further open to each other, especially to trust, support and respect each other for a common community benefit. Enterprises need to provide accurate information and the press needs objective and flexible in providing accurate information to the public.

 

The relationship between the press and businesses is a demand-demand relation for information. To let press and businesses go together, it is crucially important to create a mechanism for information exchange to ensure the thorough understanding of the press in each issue and to convey the information fully and accurately to readers.