Winter School “PR Technologies: How to
Work with Public and Media”
The Winter School “PR Technologies: How
to Work with Public and Media” was held in Rosatom’s
State Regional Education Center, in St. Petersburg, on February
5 and 6 2007. The event was organized by WIN(Women in Nuclear)
Global and the St. Petersburg Nuclear Society, with the support
of TVEL Corporation – a Russian nuclear fuel producer. Trainers,
as well as PR experts from Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary and
Bulgaria, extensively shared their experience with young specialists
from various cities in Russia.
The first day featured a master class on strategic
PR which from Irene Aegerter, the Honorary Chair of the Winter
School and a member of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Commission
(SKA) and Vice President of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Science
(SATW). She instructed the attendees to broadly use emotive tools
along with technically "rationaled" arguments.
She stated it was impossible to answer the question
“Is nuclear good or not for mankind?” using only technical
arguments. The nuclear age entered human consciousness with the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. It raised fears about nuclear energy
that reached phobia proportions. She urged that emotions be used
in order to address this psychological problem. Irene revealed
her working methods and called upon experts to more actively use
independent organizations and experts who were pro-nuclear and
trusted by the public.
Another master class was given on Integrated
Communications Approach where the Head of the Planning and Development
Agency for Radioactive Waste Management, Nadja Zeleznik (Slovenia),
outlined a new communications approach which had been used in
the siting of a waste storage facility in Slovenia. She stressed
that communications and information activities should be started
as soon as possible with projects that are not always favored
by the public. This would avoid potential conflicts of interests
between the public and the company responsible for the construction,
she noted. Nadja also described all the various tools used in
the process, from the website to information placards. She concluded
by saying that the use of this integrated communications approach
helped to avoid conflicts and ensure that the public was adequately
informed at all times.
The Hungarian Nuclear Society’s President,
Tamas Pazmandi, outlined an outstanding PR initiative called the
“Nuclear Tent,” which had taken place during the international
music rally, on Pepsi Island, in Budapest. He described all elements
of the project (educational seminars, public debates with Greens,
distribution of small gifts, polls etc.) and mentioned the HNC’s
Youth Section’s interaction with the public. In particular,
one point of interest was the interaction with physics teachers
(Scholl teachers) at the Annual Physics Teachers’ Conference.
The Youth Section’s activities had a positive effect upon
young Hungarians’ attitudes towards nuclear power, he said.
The Winter School’s second day was also
very informative with regards to crisis PR techniques in use at
the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, in Bulgaria, and the plant’s
relations with the media. In the end, all Winter School attendees
– who included representatives of MIFI, Mashinostroitelny
Zavod, the Leningrad nuclear power plant and several nuclear industry
enterprises – were given an attendance certificate. Attendees
devoted their free time to strolling about St. Petersburg and
socializing.
For more information about this event, refer
to Tamas Pazmandi's website: portl.kfki.hu/StPetersburg.
Yekaterina Ryabikovskaya,
Winter School Organizer
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