National PR Day observed

BHUBANESWAR:Public Relations (PR) influences and guides public opinion, which has a greater role to play in strengthening democracy. It helps in building mutual understanding and developing a trusting relationship between an institution and public, said Information and Public Relations and Law Minister Pratap Jena here on Saturday.

He was delivering the inaugural address at a National PR Conclave on the occasion of National PR Day. The event having the theme ‘Strengthening Democracy: Role of PR’ was organised jointly by Institute of Media Studies (IMS), Information and Public Relations Department and Utkal University.“It is encouraging that a growing number of PR practitioners are becoming aware of the social and political ethos of their profession. Adapting to professionalism, they have remained the agents of change and development,” he added.

Chairman of Press Council of India Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad stressed on positive contributions of PR. He also pointed out its negative role in the society. He specifically raised fingers at what he called paid journalism by way of spreading false information or half-truths by PR agencies through media.

Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Orissa Prof Sachidananda Mohanty, Prof Sanjeev Bhanawat of University of Rajasthan, Bengaluru-based PRCI’s Director Geetha Shankar, former director of I&PR Department Baishnab Prasad Mohanty and Director of IMS Prof Upendra Padhi also spoke. On the occasion, four eminent personalities were felicitated.