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| May 15 , 2005 | The
Newspaper of the NYSSCPA |
Vol.
8, No.9 |
An Invitation to Become a Chapter Star
By Lois Whitehead, Public Relations Manager
Do you want an opportunity to be in the spotlight? Would you like to be the first person a reporter calls to discuss a story idea? Would you like to see news media attend your chapter’s events?
These are just part of what you can expect as a New York State Society of CPAs chapter public relations liaison.
When media want to speak to CPAs, the public relations liaison is the first person the Society’s public relations staff will call. When reporters begin to know a chapter liaison, he or she will become a regular source for information about the profession.
In Staten Island, for example, Rosemarie Barnickel has filled this role for many years. She distributes notices about events and handles media inquiries regularly. She also contributes to the chapter newsletters section of The Trusted Professional.
Michele A. Dickey, in Syracuse, has also been a liaison for some time. This year she helped to coordinate a seminar on e-filing and the tax hotline at the Syracuse Post-Standard.
Some chapter presidents have assumed the role of public relations liaison for their chapter as well. While it is preferable for this position to be handled by another officer or chapter member, those wearing both hats have done good work.
Barry Doll, president of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter, also wears the hat of liaison this year. He worked with the Society’s Public Relations Committee to put together a successful credit card debt seminar, and fielded media inquiries about accounting as a career.
What Liaisons Do
The liaison works with the Society staff to connect reporters with the right chapter members to serve as sources for a story. The liaison typically knows many of the chapter members and their professional specialties. Thus the liaison saves the reporter time in finding sources, which helps to build a close relationship between the media and the Society.
Liaisons will also handle media inquiries the Society staff receives or solicits. Sometimes staff will contact media to offer local CPAs as sources on economic surveys or tax issues, and put reporters in touch with chapter liaisons.
In turn, the Society staff provides liaisons some media support for larger chapter events and conferences. The NYSSCPA Public Relations Department may send advisories to reporters with details about these events. Liaisons can send short e-mails about other events to local reporters from a list provided by the Society.
Part of the planning of a big chapter event should include alerting local media. This task will fall on the shoulders of the liaison, keeping in mind that journalists are notorious for breaking engagements due to breaking stories and other exigencies of the journalism profession. The Society staff will help a liaison contact journalists in preparation for a major event.
Being a chapter public relations liaison can be hard work, and while it may take time out of your already busy schedule, it will help you expand your community and business contacts. It is also an important role for any chapter leader.
