Topics of Interest in Public Relations and Communications, everyday life and me. A final year PR and Comms student currently writing my dissertation while working for Remarkable PR Agency, it's fantastic!

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Monday 10 January 2011

What happens when you are doing your best but the media screws you?

In the case of Shell and their community relations within the Nigeria Delta; is it worth trying to do good only to be slated? 

Most people when they think of Shell think bad things...

Some would say that corrupt is the adjective most often used to describe politics (in the north of) Nigeria. On the other side of the spectrum, the word that most suitably portrays the landscape of its oil-rich south seems to be hellish.


‘The Niger Delta, a region of mangrove swamps and creeks is crisscrossed by thousands of miles of pipelines. Oil spills - the result of neglect by oil companies and vandalism by militants have caused significant environmental damage in this region. The area is further scarred by “flaring” which causes acid rain and air pollution’.
 
98% of oil spills that occur are down to this militancy activity, how can Shell get this message across with out looking like they are 'passing the buck'?


If a more positive message was portrayed of Shell's attempts then maybe they would be encouraged to keep it up! What is the point of them publicising their efforts when all it does is damage their reputation by opening them up to criticism? They might as well keep quiet and out of the firing line! A strategy that until now has proven extremely successful for Shell! From the results gathered in my survey so far, 64% of people weren't even aware of the negative coverage Shell get in national newspapers!


If YOU were in SHELL's shoes, stuck in the middle of a war zone, a volatile environment where gangs form an everyday part of life and criminal activity is endless; what would you do? Like Shell, would you choose the Government as your key stakeholder over local communities? Without ‘taking care’ of the government’s needs Shell wouldn’t be able to operate within the region.

It’s NOT realistic to believe you can fulfil ALL your stakeholders’ needs SO who is more important in this case? The local commuinity or the corrupt Nigerian Government...

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