“Public Relations strategies for crisis management in Nepal: Challenges and Approach”

– Pradhumna Poudyal

Doctoral degree Research Project

Communication University of China

No.1 Dingfuzhuang East Street

Chaoyang District, Beijing, P.R.China

100024

[email protected]

 Survey on:

“Public Relations strategies for crisis management in Nepal: Challenges and Approach”

 To: Journalists

Your assistance is requested with this research project, which is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a doctoral degree. Please answer all of the questions in this form but if u feel confuse to answer any question you may leave it blank and after completing this survey email it to me as soon as possible to the address listed below. If you have any questions, you can reach me at [email protected], or + 86-13126609175 or 9841263932 or 9843709070 or p13126609175p on Wechat.

Thank you for your valuable assistance.

Pradhumna Poudyal

PhD student, Communication University of China

 Public Relations Survey

1. About this survey

This survey is designed for practitioners who work as journalists and have experience to work closely with PR persons of Nepalese government organization at different crisis in Nepal.

Introduction
I have been working in this field about 15 years. The Public Relations practices in government organization suffer from a distinctly unfavorable reputation, which is ironic considering the very nature of the government administration. Therefore, it is of the highest importance to the future of Public Relations that the government administration is seen as being professional or ethical especially under crisis situation.

This research aims to evaluate strategies of PR practitioners and challenges faced by government officials during crisis management in Nepal.

The research

This questionnaire forms a major part of my PhD research in Public relations strategies for crisis management in Nepal, which I am studying at the Communication University of China. The findings will not be used for any financial or commercial gain. It could be helpful to develop standard training package for the development public relations practices in the country.

Please be assured that this research is totally confidential and your anonymity is guaranteed.

This set of questionnaire will also give you opportunities to know a lot about PR strategies, theories and other knowledge related to public relations.

HOW TO COMPLETE THIS FORM:

Tick the chosen answer and, where requested, express briefly your point of view if you use printed version. If you use the electronic version to fill out this questionnaire please select the answer using red color or you can highlight the answers with bold. The data acquired through the present form will be used only for the purpose of this study and research.

2.     About You

        i.            Name:

      ii.            Organization:

    iii.            Mobile Number:

    iv.            Email:

      v.            Gender

a)      Male

b)      Female

    vi.            Age

a)      18-25

b)      26-35

c)      36-45

d)     46-55

e)      56- 65

f)       66+

3.      Your current employment

1. What is your appointment in your organization?

1. Reporter
2. Editor
3. Sub-editor
4. Desk editor
5. News Editor
6. Editor in Chief
7. Photojournalist
8. Other (specify)

2. What is your Level of qualification?
3. Bachelor in art
4. Masters in art
5. Bachelor in management
6. Masters in management
7. Bachelors in science
8. Bachelor in Journalism and mass communication
9. Masters in Journalism and mass communication
10. Bachelor in science
11. Others(specify)
12. What is your major in the highest degree you obtained?
13. Journalism and mass communication
14. Sociology
15. Public administration
16. Political science
17. Business management
18. Finance
19. Economics
20. Science
21. Public relations
22. Does your academic degree match with your job appointment?

1. Yes
2. No

5. If your appointment is/ was any of the question 1, do you have any training related to your appointment?

1. Yes
2. No

6. If your answer to question number 5 is yes, what is the title of the training did you receive?

4.     Public Relations

1. How is your relationship with government PR practitioner?

1. very good
2. good
3. fair
4. don’tknow

2. How often do you contact PR practitioner of your respective beat?

1. daily
2. weekly
3. monthly
4. never
5. others (specify times)

3. How often do you meet PR practitioner of your respective beat?

1. once a week
2. twice a week
3. once a month
4. twice a month
5. once a year
6. twice a year
7. thrice a year
8. never
9. when needed

4. When you meet with PR people what kind of matter do you talk more?

1. about news information
2. about personal matters
3. just a fun
4. others (specify)

5. When you call PR people for some information to make a scoop on some issues, how do they react to you?

1. Positively
2. Negatively
3. try to escape away from issue
4. don’t receive a call

6. Do you think PR people working in your respective beats are media friendly?

1. Yes
2. no
3. not sure

7. How often do you force PR people to provide you some news when you meet them?

1. Always
2. most of the times
3. according to the situation
4. never

8. When you force them to provide some news, what is their reaction towards you?

1. they provide some information
2. they become angry
3. they say will provide you later
4. they just escape away from that place
5. both of us get troubled
6. they take it easily without providing anything

9. What benefit do you get with frequent interaction with PR practitioners?
10. I always obtain good news ideas
11. I occasionally obtain good news ideas.
12. I will have good relationship with them
13. waste of time
14. Do you think that PR people in government administration related to your beat are media literate?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not literate but have experience to deal with me

11. How do you define PR?
12. Publicity
13. Manipulation

1. Marketing
2. Advertising

12. In your opinion which of the following models of PR practice become apparent to analyze definition of PR?

1. Persuasion
2. Advocacy
3. Public information
4. All of the above
5. Image/reputation management
6. Relationship management
7. Cause related public relations
8. Don’t know

13. Do you have any experience worked as PR practitioners in any organization?

1. Yes
2. No

14. Which of the following public relations strategies are applied by the government organization in Nepal?

1. Public affairs
2. Crisis management
3. Publicity and promotion
4. Research and enterprise
5. Sales and marketing
6. Reputation management
7. Events management
8. Media relation

15. Which of the following public relations strategy is mostly used by government organization? Please rearranged in order from mostly used to least used.

1. Informative strategy
2. Facilitative strategy
3. Persuasive strategy
4. Promise and reward strategy
5. Threat and punishment strategy
6. Bargaining strategy
7. Cooperative problem solving strategy

16. According to your experience, which of the following strategies are most commonly used by government to communicate their organizational image?

1. Advertising campaign
2. Integrated communication campaign ( advertising, particular public relations & marketing)
3. Marketing campaign
4. Public relations campaign
5. I don’t know
6. None
7. other
8. According to your experience, do governmental organizations use Public Relations in their organizational strategy in Nepal?

1. Yes
2. No

18. Do you get any invitation from PR practitioners of Nepalese government organization to attend a party organized in any special day?

1. Yes
2. No

19. If yes when do you get invitation?

1. National day
2. National Festivals
3. Annual program
4. Any special day only for journalist.

20. Do you think that public relations persons in Nepalese government organization have acquired good media writing skills (especially while writing press releases)?

1. Yes
2. No

21. When you need to get information from PR person, what time do they be available to provide you information.

1. 24 hours 7 days
2. Only at office hour
3. Moring time & office hours
4. Office hours and evening till I go to bed
5. Any time except weekend
6. Do you always have the coverage in your media when government organizations hold the press conference?

1. Yes
2. No
3. It depends on the value of news

23. If your media do not publish or broadcast the news/story after the press conference or any other event, do you get any call from PR persons asking any reason why your media did not carry the news/story?

1. Yes
2. No

24. If your media do not publish/broadcast the news/story of their press conference or the event, do you get any pressure or request to publish/broadcast next time?
25. Yes we get pressure from them
26. No we don’t get any pressure
27. Yes they request us by telephone to publish/broadcast anyhow
28. No they don’t request us
29. First they request and if we don’t agree then they pressure us
30. Neither they request nor they pressure
31. Due to various reasons have you ever experienced government organization giving access only for government media for coverage in some special event?

1. Yes
2. No

26. If yes in that case what was the feedback of private media?

1. Positive
2. Negative
3. Normal
4. No matter it’s the decisions of government
5. Don’t know

27. The news is equally important for the private media as well, in this case how do private media get news of that event?

1. Get news using in house source or PR department of that organization
2. Get news footage and information from government media who covered the event
3. Get news footage and information from national news agency
4. Tell the event organizer to provide opportunity next time with better management
5. Don’t Know
6. Did you ever feel or experience that government organization have any standard model of public relations?

1. Yes
2. No

29. If yes which of the following model do they apply for better practice?

1. Press agentry model
2. Public Information model
3. Two way asymmetric model
4. Two way symmetrical model
5. Sometimes

30. According to your experience, do government organizations prefer to use a public relations agency or an internal PR department?

1. PR agency
2. Internal (in house) PR department
3. Neither
4. Both

31. According to your experience, to which of the following areas do the government organization entrust their Public Relations function in Nepal?

1. Marketing department (in house)
2. Communication/PR department (in house)
3. Marketing agency
4. Advertising agency
5. PR agency
6. Press office (in house)
7. Press office (external)
8. I don’t know
9. Other

32. Do you think that, in Nepal, there is a general understanding of the Public Relations profession and its applications?

1. a lot
2. enough
3. little
4. not at all

33. Is there any organization in Nepal to promote the profession of PR?

1. Yes
2. No

34. If Yes, How does that organization promote the profession of Public Relations?
35. meetings and conferences on public relations issues
36. journal produced by the organization
37. brochure of the organization
38. web site of the organization
39. organization of public relations courses
40. visibility on media
41. publications of books on PR issues
42. other
43. With your experience, where should be the position of PR in government organizational structure?
44. Top management of organization
45. Middle management of organization
46. Down management of organization
47. I don’t know
48. Why do you think PR managers or officers are the part of top management?
49. Because most studies done in the past show that for public relations to be successful it has to be included in the top management of the organization.
50. Because the Public relations officer communicated information from top management to the non-management employees and external public.
51. Because the Public relations manager attended meetings with top management the was part of the top management.
52. Because the Public relations officer communicated directly with the top management.
53. All of above
54. I don’t know
55. Do you think PR persons should be involved in decision making process of government organization?
56. Yes
57. No
58. Sometimes
59. Do you see any other private or non-governmental organization in Nepal as a point of reference in the application of effective Public Relations?

1. Yes
2. No

39. If YES please indicate which one and why?

40. Do you think it conceivable to define a Nepalese style of Public Relations?

1. Yes
2. No

41. If the answer is yes, please indicate some common characteristics of a Nepalese style for Public Relations.

42. Could you describe existing examples/applications of a Nepalese practice of Public Relations?

43. Is there any organization in Nepal you would identify as best practitioners in Public Relations among government organization and why?

44. If you would be willing to support/contribute to the definition of Nepalese Public Relations, please state below your point of view.

 

45. With your knowledge gain and experience, how do you define public relations?

5.     Thank you

Thank you for filling this survey.

I would be more grateful if you could help me forwarding this survey to friends and colleagues working as journalists in any media.