Importance of PR in development

There is plenty of good news, it is not all doom and gloom, but why does the good that is flowing in Pakistan just evaporate. One of the reasons is that those that make and have good news are not using the powerful tool of public relations. The right messages are not being articulated and are simply not getting through to the masses and to those who can help.
A national strategic PR campaign needs to be developed which is across sector, and industry, both in the public and private sectors. A programmed campaign that allows the proactive dissemination of information and news, that can provide national uplift and motivation to the people of Pakistan, which is so needed and vital in the current environment.
PR is a tool that is used with a high degree of success and sophistication, from celebrities to companies and governments, to change public opinion or build positive attitudes. PR is the main vehicle which links, through planned communications, an organisation with its publics, stakeholders, investors etc.
Businesses for example, in each industry, sector, should empower their PR officers to spread good news through planned initiatives. The everyday articles that you see in newspapers are informative, but in many cases are nothing more than official announcements.
What is needed is a strategy that focuses on the human element of each good story that happens in any environment every day. As we all know, it is the people that make things happen, through their creativity and energy. The stories need to be written and posted from a motivational and inspirational point of view for the good of Pakistan and its people.
A group of business and related entities should enrol in this national initiative that ultimately becomes a long-term national motivation programme. INSPIRE PAKISTAN should be a national initiative, which is made up by the business community, the media, entities, that have no other motive than inspiring the people of this country. The programme should not have a political bias or interest.
The INSPIRE PAKISTAN programme needs to have a small group of like-minded media and business people who can spearhead the project and provide a springboard. It would primarily require a process and procedure, to be set and communicated, to those who wish to be a part of the programme. As all the newspaper, TV and Radio media are already geared for news, no new structures would be required to implement the programme, other than some good journalists allocated to the programmes successes and accessibility, for good news stories to flow. Ultimately an annual high level national achievement awards event could be staged giving further exposure to this cause.
There is an abundance of great acts by ordinary Pakistanis which are unnoticed, for no other reason than that the individuals are modest humans who seek no publicity. These people need to be encouraged, that exposure is good for them and the nation, as a motivating force. When something positive and inspiring happens, whether it is from an individual, a company or an organisation, these people should know where the particular story should be directed in the media. The media should be ready to take such stories and deal with them in a special way and give them the exposure they it deserves.
It may be necessary to have regular features or sections for this programme across the media platform. The criteria should be simple, if anyone has succeeded in an activity or a service that has a positive impact on the country and its people, it must cover it.
The PR benefits for all the groups in the equation are very positive and powerful. For the media that is covering the stories, it provides good and positive news, which can have spin of the effect of growing the story, and will increase sales and viewership etc. For businesses that are creating such news, it builds their brand equity, being associated with success.
Those that read and hear about the good work of people will be inspired, which cannot only benefit the people of the country and push this nation forward, but also make us realise the potential of our people. I am sure that the whole nation will agree on it, that we need more value-added, good news.