2. Give Russian equivalents for the words and phrases from Text 3.

media dinner; the hottest ticket; cover story; gossip columnist; up-and-coming personalities; high-profile cash cows; nasty (about a person); business leader; plastic surgeon; off the record; a local publication; a tough sell.

3. Give English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

козырная дама; почетное приглашение; отклонить приглашение; превосходные манеры; светский лев; испытывать неприязнь; почетный гость; кинопродюсер; редактор.

4. According to Text 3 are the following statements true or false? If they are false, say why.

1. Michael Levine is a famous journalist.

2. According to Catherine Seipp’s classification Michael Levine falls into the category of snarling micromanagers.

3. Michael Levine is a rich man who spends a lot of time at parties, clubs, theatres etc.

4. Michael Levine is running a successful communication office in Beverly Hills.

5. Journalists avoid Michael Levine for his being extremely unkind and unpleasant.

6. Media dinners have become extremely popular.

7. No one but famous journalists are invited to mass media dinners.

Text Discussion

Comment on the following:

“I feel the tunnel between the publicist and the media should be clean, well-lit and well-traveled.”

How do these words characterize Michael Levine as a professional press agent?

Over to you

Make a report about one of the famous press agents (Russian on foreign.)

Section 6. Issues Management

Manage the issues before the issues manage you.

Howard Chase.

Starting up

1. What is issues management?

2. What is the role of public relations practitioners in managing issues?

Read Text 1. Which of the following topics does the text discuss?

1. Origins of issues management.

2. Purpose of issues management.

3. Stages of issues management.

4. The role of issues management practitioners.

5. Importance of issues management.

6. The disadvantages of bringing in issues management consultants.

7. Definitions of issues management.

8. The advantages of bringing in issues management consultants.

9. The news media in issues management.

Text 1

Issues ManaGement

Rather than waiting until an issue has reached the legislative or regulatory stages of the public policy formation process, a term introduced in the late 1970s represents a more proactive strategy – "issues management". Because issues management deals with the public policy process that produces laws and regulations, it is conceptually part of the public affairs function, which in turn is part of the larger concept of public relations.

As introduced by public relations consultant W. Howard Chase, issues management is the process of identifying issues, analyzing those issues, setting priorities, selecting program strategy options, implementing a program of action and communication, and evaluating effectiveness. More generally, issues management deals with "emerging issues" and their potential impact on the operations of any type of organization.

In 1982, more than 100 practitioners especially interested in this aspect of public relations formed the Issue Management Association, electing Chase as its first chairman.

Let’s define issues management by example:

If you know an earthquake will hit next week, and if you initiate the proper precautions, you’re practicing disaster management. If you have a strong suspicion that computer stocks are going to take a dive and you position yourself advantageously, you’re practicing investment management.

If you know your state legislature is on verge of introducing – and eventually enacting – legislation that will affect the way your organization operates, and if you take steps to solve these problems before the legislation becomes law, you’re practicing issues management.

Issues management is essential to business survival, and is concerned with what public relations counselor Larry Newman of the Newman Partnership calls "alternative futures." Issues management identifies future trends.

Forecasting. That’s what issues management is all about. It’s identifying the problems and concerns that will affect your organization in the future, and determining what steps you will take to lessen the impact that they have on your organization. Public relations’ role as strategic counsel positions the profession well in the issues management discipline.

Good issues management programs identify early those critical issues that will affect your organization measurably. They also try to influence the issues so that they don’t become major problems.

Many major corporations have created issues management units, or "task forces", either by establishing specialized sections or by renaming existing sections of the public relations department. The purpose of issues management is to help organizations anticipate social, economic, and political issues. By doing so, the goal is to develop and manage programs that respond to those environmental changes with potential impact on organizational relationships with concerned publics. As issues management programs attempt to establish, change, or maintain relationships with publics concerned with or affected by particular issues, issues management is conceptually – if not always administratively – part of the public relations function.