INTERNATIONAL & MULTICULTURAL ISSUE - Odwyerpr.com

SPECIAL REPORTExperts: better PR is lesson of Japan nuke crisisBy Greg HazleyAreport commissioned by the U.K.government to draw lessons fromJapan’s Fukushima nuclear disasternamed better PR and communicationsas one of four general takeaways from theevent.Although the U.K. is 1,000 miles fromthe nearest fault line, the report, releasedMay 18, found several areas of improvementfor the British nuclear industry andstressed public communications as a keyarea of focus for the country’s 19 reactorsin the wake of Fukushima, noting theJapanese nuclear plant operator TEPCOfumbled its early PR at the detriment ofthe public and its own reputation.“The recent comments over informationrelease by TEPCO and distrust in itsprovenance provide a striking illustrationof why [the U.K. Office of NuclearRegulation] is addressing this issue withcommitment and urgency,” says thereport.President Barack Obama has asked theNuclear Regulatory Commission toreview the U.S.’s 104 nuke plants, aswell.The U.K. nuclear industry has made“great strides” with an “openness andtransparency agenda” in recent years,according to the report, but “some stakeholdershave reservations about greateropenness and access to information,based on concerns about the potential formisues by the media or others and possibledetrimental effect on our regulatoryeffectiveness.The report says that while there mustbe some limitations on the release ofinformation because of security concerns,“such reservations should not stand in theway” of more open communication withthe public.W-S touts Japan recoveryWeber Shandwick’s Tokyo officeunveiled a web-centric platform in May toshow “a more accurate understanding” ofthe rebuilding of Japan economy in thewake of the March tsunami and subsequentnuclear disaster which has shakenthe country.The initiative, called “Real Voices, RealJapan,” highlights the views of citizensand business leaders, social media posts,along with photos and video to feature thecountry’s efforts to recover and offer PRadvice the companies with interests in theregion.Japan CEO Akihiko Kubo said the firmhas been issuing a daily “Quake Update”briefing since the March 11 disaster, notingthat the international business communityis “keenly interested” in Japan’seconomic recovery. He said the RealVoices offering is intended to create “amore accurate understanding” of the situationin Japan as a way of supporting therecovery process.Insight from Weber Shandwick staffersoffering a PR perspective is also part ofthe digital endeavor.Senior VP Toshiya Takata said Tokyobasedcompanies, including those unaffectedby the disaster, have been askinghim about how to communicate withstakeholders overseas.He wrote in a post on the new site thathe counsels them to use their own mediato stress two points: the company’s functionalstatus (injuries, casualties, damage)as well as disaster updates and countermeasures.8JUNE 2011 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM