From the editor

Communication World, May-June, 2005 by Natasha Spring

When you're a member of the media putting together articles about media relations, it's a bit like looking through both sides of a window at the same time. At CW we experience PR/media relations on a daily basis, and if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that the operative word is relations. Lately, I've been thinking that this is true of everything in the business world: At the heart of it, all business involves understanding customers and knowing how best to respond to their needs. Part of understanding is being able to relate to their situation and to develop a mutually beneficial solution.

If you're an editor, you need to provide content for your particular audience. And the PR professional can play a critical role in achieving that goal. That's why I'm glad that Karen Friedman has applied her vast experience as a journalist and provided our readers with some helpful advice on dealing with the media (page 29). I especially like her "menu" box, because it gives critical basics that can be applied to the all-important media interview.

Carolyne Van Der Meet continues the media theme by unraveling the complex world of media analysis and how it can benefit the businesses that use it (page 32). Shifting a bit to another important issue, Felipe Alfonso and Prakhar Sharma, of the Asian Institute of Management's Center for Corporate Responsibility in Manila, Philippines, outline what must be in place to move forward with effective CSR practices (page 14).

A special supplement to this issue marks IABC's 35th anniversary (coverage begins after page 16). The authors and those mentioned in this section are the masters of outstanding communication. But they are also the most committed to the future of the profession, as demonstrated through their service to IABC. While the authors supplied the valuable content, this celebratory section could not have happened without the support of longtime IABC leaders Norm Leaper, ABC, and Rae Leaper, ABC. A heartfelt thanks goes to them for the knowledge and time they gave to this project.

Natasha Spring

Executive Editor