The value of a PR association to Russians.

In August, IABC headquarters hosted two visiting Russian PR specialists. Alexandre G. Nikolaev and Alexander G. Goregin observed and studied how IABC operates as a professional association, and participated in their research activity relating to the practices of communication and public relations. This provided both them, and IABC, an opportunity to share information on worldwide communication practices. Nikolaev and Goregin came to the U.S. under sponsorship of IREX, Washington, D.C., to participate in the Freedom Support Act Fellowship Program. While here, they wrote this article for Communication World explaining some of the difficulties - and success - they've encountered in establishing a professional association in their native country.

"Journalists are enemies," - said the chief of the public relations department of a Russian federal agency in a speech at a conference held in Moscow in May of 1994. Such a phrase is not unusual among Russian PR practitioners. Many of them are former bureaucrats who have never worked with mass media before.

The late '80s and early '90s were the most difficult periods for most Russian state institutions: government, parliament, courts, ministries, etc. Freedom of the press made their lives so difficult that relations between them and mass media tended to be adversarial. Journalists formed such a negative image for almost all the governing structures that the general public did not trust anyone or anything from those agencies.

The main problem was not because there were no media relations departments in the state institutions in Russia. It was the people working in them who were the problem. Many were bureaucrats who lost their jobs because of the reduction of the state machinery in general. Some who could not find a job in newly born so-called "commercial structures" became the chiefs or employees of the "departments who work with the press" (or something similar). Most of them started to work in this area only because they wanted jobs. Not only did they not want to work with mass media, they also did not know how.

Nevertheless, after October and December of 1993 (between coup d'etat and parliamentary elections) some changes did occur. However, a problem still existed: HOW to work? Others must be capable of working with mass media and the general public, but who and where were they?

That is why, in May of 1994 in the Moscow House of Journalists, dozens of Russian PR people met to create a professional association. Several main goals were set for the future organization.

First, a system of professional communication was necessary. Such a system might compensate for the lack of theoretical knowledge through the exchange of practical experience. The exchange would be through a series of conferences and workshops, as well as through a computer network. (The latter, certainly, would be in the relatively far future.)

Another goal was administrative. In Russia, there was no such profession as "public relations specialist," which resulted in some serious problems. For example, without the official recognition of this as a profession, it was impossible to design a curriculum for professional education or create criteria leading to a diploma of PR specialist.

Since Russian PR people came from many different backgrounds, a short-term training system was proposed for the first stage, and a full-scale PR education also was proposed for the future.

The last aim of the association was to create professional standards for PR practitioners working under very specific Russian conditions so that only well-qualified and honest people would be working in this field. And, a commonly recognized code of ethics was deemed as extremely important for the future of Russian public relations.

The conference had its problems, however. Some wanted to turn everything into a professional club; others saw the future organization as a trade union. Nevertheless, the Professional Communicators Guild of Russia was established as the first professional association for Russian PR practitioners.

In August of 1994, a similar organization was established in St. Petersburg. It was named "Saint-Petersburg Association of Public Relations Specialists." Although the main goals of this organization were the same as Moscow's, it had its own features.

First of all, it was, and is still, a regional association. This does not diminish the importance of its activities. St. Petersburg (the north-west) region of Russia, probably, is the most developed in terms of science, industry, international trade, transportation, etc. Also, St. Petersburg is a region where reforms are proceeding most successfully, and, consequently, attracting the attention of many western business people. The regional character of the association allows it to keep in close touch with its members, and to work effectively.

Another interesting feature of the St. Petersburg association was the fact that it included, besides PR people from the state structures, a few members working for private enterprises.

By 1993, most of those working in public relations in Russia connected PR with advertising. Very few were able to define the difference between those two fields. The director of one of the private Russian PR agencies said: "The most effective way to work with the public is to advertise, 'Fish is sold next door, X rubles a pound'".

Another approach was not unusual. "A journalist should not go to companies. He receives money and must write all we'll tell him. Otherwise he will get the bullet in the head," said the director of one of the advertising companies that was trying to do PR as well. And it was very difficult to explain to him that nobody works with mass media in such a way.

The heads of the PR departments of the commercial companies, or directors and presidents of private PR firms, mostly were of two types. They were either young, former personal secretaries with charming smiles, or old retired journalists with good connections in mass media strata and out selling the articles by their "friends" to the business people. In general, direct bribes to the journalists were, and still are, the main method in which Russian business PR people operate.

Virtually, in a country where the only form of PR work was placing a paid article in the newspaper, such PR activities involving research or strategic planning were absolutely unknown and considered unnecessary. That is why, regardless of the thousands of paid articles and even wholly paid editions, business people continued to be considered swindlers and thieves. This social tension between entrepreneurs and the general public was obvious and extremely dangerous. Finally, some of the PR people working in the private sector decided to find better methods to achieve respect and success in meeting their goals. The only way to do this would be to communicate with peers, and through professional education. In other words, they finally understood the need for a special professional organization.

At the present time, this development in Moscow and St. Petersburg is proceeding very rapidly. During the last year, the Professional Communicators Guild of Russia conducted a number of conferences, seminars, a series of lectures, workshops and other programs. The most successful of them was the international seminar with the participation of a delegation of IABC members from the Salt Lake City chapter headed by Jeri Cartwright. The number of successful seminars for the employees of Russian Fuel and Energy Ministry led to the official announcement that the Guild would become a strategic partner of the Ministry during its reformation. The specialists of the Guild designed an educational program in public relations for a Russian system of higher education. But, probably, one of the most interesting achievements of the Guild is the establishment of a special bilateral conflict committee that includes the representatives of the Union of Journalists of Russia and of the Guild. This committee will consider serious professional problems that may occur between journalists and public relations people. Codes of ethics for Russian journalists and PR people based on current Russian mass media law will be the key elements guiding this committee.

The plans of the Guild include publishing the first Russian professional PR magazine; designing a curriculum for PR schools of higher education and for those desiring to change career fields. And for the beginners: establishing a special PR research-information center; conducting a number of programs in areas of public relations for Russian military, state and private enterprise officials (some of these will be part of an exchange program with U.S. partners). An important focus of the Guild is publishing professional literature from basic textbooks to the latest scientific studies.

In St. Petersburg, for the last year, the association has been conducting several roundtables for media devoted to actual and complicated problems affecting modern social life in Russia; nine publications were issued to help PR practitioners in solving practical problems, giving some advice, distributing professional codes of ethics; several lectures were delivered by the members for PR and information service practitioners of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Also, seminars and workshops in the area of public relations were conducted. One of the members of the governing council of the association, and the first Russian member of IABC, Kira Ivanova, with the help of IABC member, Mark McElreath, Ph.D., established in St. Petersburg the Electrotechnical University, the first five-year undergraduate educational program in public relations. The first 40 students, hopefully, will receive their degrees in 1998.

The plans of the St. Petersburg Association of Public Relations Specialists include establishing the Center of Information and Communication conducting training seminars, helping government public information officers, legislators and business communicators to tackle their practical problems. Also, the organization plans to strengthen contacts with colleagues abroad. Members of the association will have an opportunity to attend seminars in some European countries (Finland, Sweden and others) conducted by prominent public relations specialists.

Although the St. Petersburg association has approved a code of ethics for Russian PR people, in the Guild this code is still under consideration. Also, there are some problems in terms of official recognition of public relations as a profession in Russia. Debates on this issue continue.

This new development for Russia in the area of mass communication - public relations - is going on rapidly. And establishing two large professional associations in this field is helping speed this process very much. At the moment, the associations are almost the only places where Russian PR professionals can receive some theoretical knowledge and practical training. It is not an easy job to introduce new ideas into a transforming society. Many problems exist: lack of hard- and software, of professional scientific literature, and, certainly, lack of funds. Nevertheless, all the members of both associations are sure that all the problems will be overcome and people will realize their "right to know" the truth through the new community for Russian professionals: PR people.

Alexandre G. Nikolaev is a member of the board of directors of the "Russian Public Communications" company, Russia; Governing Council of Professional Communicators Guild of Russia; and Governing Council of St. Petersburg Association of Public Relations Specialists, Russia.

Alexander G. Goregin is a member of the board of directors of "Russian Public Communications" company, Russia; Professional Communicators Guild of Russia; and is vice-president of the St. Petersburg Association of Public Relations Specialists, Russia.