CSR and the media

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CSR and the media

• Lala Rimando
• Newsbreak business editor
• CSR Media Dialogue
• August 27, 2007

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(No Transcript)
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• Is CSR Newsworthy?

In most of SEAsia NOT REALLY
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Generally not perceived as newsworthy because

• Not really hard news
• Dont move the markets
• Dont affect prices
• Mere feel-good stories
• Not sexy topics
• Not sensational
• Messianic zeal is not persuasive enough

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CSR baggage

• Plus some CSR baggage
• Atonement of sins
• Cover-up
• Spin We are the good guys

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So

• CSR (by default) PR
• Relegated to the PR section
• OR
• CSR events of companies become occasions to
  ambush CEOs with questions on more controversial
  issues

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Meantime

• The world of CSR is.
• A new and booming field
• Business schools offer MAs, PhDs on CSR,
  sustainability embedded in courses
• Theres commercial demand among companies for CSR
  practitioners
• Niche publications dedicated to CSR and/or
  Business Ethics
• Broadsheets have CSR beat reporters
• Everyones talking about it

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the entire planet

• CSR Drivers
• Humane working conditions

Government

• Pressure groups same standards to outsourced
  suppliers?

Investors, Creditors
Competitors
Employees
COMPANY

• Consumer groups products are safe, useful,
  reasonably priced

Customers
Shareholders
Supplier

• Society - security, supply of qualified
  employees, environment,

Community
The world

• Climate change

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Our CSR Drivers

• Imposed on us through the value chain
• Multinational companies implementing CSR agenda
  of head office
• Major local companies riding the global fashion
• Market competitiveness
• Requirement of investors
• Means beyond Its natural to care

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The Good Company
Corporate Social Responsibilities
Philanthropic Responsibilities
Be a Good Corporate Citizen
Do what is right, just, fair. Avoid harm.
Ethical Responsibilities
Legal Responsibilities
Obey the Law
Economic Responsibilities
Be Profitable
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Cynical media because

• There are more Corporate IRRESPONSIBILITY stories
• Our watchdog role. The public should know. Name
  and shame.
• From a righteous journalist
• "It is not our job to pat you on the back and
  congratulate you on your good works. It is our
  job to poke you sharply and to see if you can
  stand up to scrutiny."

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Make, Take, Give

• Philanthropy is just a subset of CSR
• CSR is
• What you MAKE,
• How you TAKE and
• What you GIVE.

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THE BIG PICTURE
THE BIG PICTURE
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(No Transcript)
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What to do with the good company

• We need GOOD STORIES But we dont want them to
  be PR stories.
• - Jasmine Romero, RMN
• Even good stories have to follow the standards
  of journalism Timeliness, Accuracy,
  Impartiality, with public interest, Uniqueness,
  Scale
• Journalists need to dig deeper, put CSR
  activities into context, and report them as part
  of a bigger story on a companys activities.

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Getting the message across
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• Our stories should reflect current business
  trends. If we see that more CEOs are making the
  announcements themselves with regards to their
  CSR activities or issues, then there may be a
  shift in the coverage of CSR.
• - Roel Landingin, FT

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• If people behave normally, that is not news. If
  companies donate books, that is not news. There
  is no impact to the community. But if the money
  or the impact is substantial enough to empower
  the communities, then that is news.
• -Joe Torres, Gmanews.tv

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Show us the evidence

• 'For too long PR practitioners have expected
  journalists to jump on any story about a company
  doing something good We need hard evidence that
  CSR is more than just a fig leaf and that actions
  are being chosen because they are a good use of
  shareholders' money rather than merely being of
  personal interest to the CEO. Economist

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Are businesses ready for this paradigm?

• Its nice that the media are learning how to
  analyze CSR projects of companies. But are the
  companies ready for questions that will look at
  CSR as reflected in their business operations?
• - Josue Claur, British Council

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Questions we will ask

• What is the real problem you are trying to solve?
  
• - Scale, Timeliness of problem
• 2. What are the MOTIVATIONS behind the CSR
  programs?
• - Are you just pontificating?
• 3. What do you want to accomplish? What are your
  CSR Goals?
• - reputation that translates to goodwill
• - become employer of choice
• - boost brand
• 4. What evidence do you have to prove your
  success? How will it be measured?
• The value of these soft assets on the balance
  sheet

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• 5. Is CSR embedded in your business operations?
• - Where is the budget coming from?
• - Who is in charge? Ad hoc group?
• - Is there a long-term commitment or just a
  marketing ploy?
• 6. Who is the audience you are trying to reach?
• Clients? Investors? Prospective hires?
• 7. What role does CSR play when you have major
  business decisions?
• i.e. designing new products, entering a market,
  putting up a new factory

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When promoting CSR accomplishments

• 1. Be Transparent
• Tell us about your successes and setbacks.
• Acknowledge the complexity of the issues and your
  imperfections.
• What you have done, not done, and what needs to
  be done
• No PR gloss please
• First Shell report published the number of people
  who had been fired for taking bribes got the
  press interested. (SustainAbility)

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• 2. Dont stretch the truth
• In other words, dont exaggerate.
• CSR success depends upon tangible results, not
  rhetoric.
• 3. Dont lie. It will haunt you
• The media is relatively gentler on those who
  openly admit they screwed up. Its disarming.
  Although we may not become your friend, we will
  at least contemplate that you have a conscience.
  That realisation alone can be the difference
  between a hostile story and one that respects the
  sometimes-complicated choices an executive faces
  when handling a crisis.

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• No one would believe us if we lied about the
  merits of CSR because we believed unquestioningly
  in the philosophy.
• By the same token, no one will trust the CSR
  commitments of corporations for very long if
  those commitments arent openly tested in the
  public arena.
• - Kevin Marsh, BBC College of Journalism

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Thank you