IUFRO TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC
RELATION PROFESSIONALS
IN FOREST SCIENCES
2nd MEETING, FEBRUARY 5TH ~ 8TH 2004,
USDA FOREST SERVICE, SEATTLE, USA
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SUCCESS STORY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
OF FOREST SCIENCES:
THE MEDIA EXPERIENCES IN SRI LANKA
MANGALA DE ZOYSA
UNIVERSITY OF RUHUNA
SRI LANKA
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THE PROBLEM
 Sri Lanka was popular for its beauty of nature
 Classical community lived in harmony with forest
 Foreign invasion, agriculture, change of socioeconomics conditions damaged natural ecosystems
 Harmonious utilization and conservation has become a
responsibility of forest authority and public
 (Media Public, Citizen - Action Public, Local Public and
General Public)
 PR got momentum as a tool in damage controlling and
stress management in forest and environment.
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THE MEDIA NETWORK:
 M.B.C. Network (Pvt) Ltd, is a private radio and
television network
 Manage
Two radio channels: "Sirasa FM (Sinhala)" and
"Yes FM (English)"
Two Television channels: "Sirasa TV (Sinhala)"
and "MTV (English)"
 Island-wide coverage of broadcasting and telecasting
 "Sampath Bank" a private commercial bank sponsors
PR program
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THE RADIO PROGRAM
 "Parisarayata vinadiak (one minute for the
environment)"
 Broadcasts different incidents, events, messages,
warnings daily since 1995
 Twice a day in morning and evening
 Takes about 2 or 3 minute
 The main objectives are to:
Acquire knowledge by media professionals
Make public aware about environment
Improve knowledge, change attitude and pursue
behavior of public to protect and promote
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THE TV PROGRAM
 "Soba Sampath (Natural Resources)" under "Green TV"
 Telecast daily, 3 times a day since 1998
 Sponsorship by "Sampath Bank".
 Televised on:
Events: competitions, exhibitions, tree planting
campaigns etc.
Important messages: "Animal grazing destroys the
village forest"
Complicated issues: "Scientific reforestation"
discussed by invited scientists
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COLLECTION OF INFORMATION
 A wide range of publics sends information
 Inform over telephone, visiting the station or by post
(more than 500 letters per week)
 Mostly from students about what they observe,
heard, learn or read:
Destruction (eg: unscientific forest harvesting)
Protection (eg: Bio-diversity)
Improvement (eg: Agroforestry)
Strategic approaches (eg: Environmental society)
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COLLECTION OF INFORMATION con….
 Citizen - Action Public, Local Public and General
Public complain about threats to environment by:
Businessmen (eg: Illicit felling)
Politicians (eg: Patronizing behavior)
Projects (eg: Deforestation in sensitive locations)
Nature (eg: Soil erosion)
 Politicians, government institutes etc., inform about
their favorable activities (eg: Reforestation and
afforestation programs)
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COLLECTION OF INFORMATION con...
 Police Officers, Forest Officers, Civil Administrators:
Inform problems need quick attention of general
public (eg: Adverse impacts of forest destruction)
Seek assistance confidentially to solve problems
Problems that can not be solved through normal
legal procedures (eg: Destructive felling by large
timber traders)
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DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE
 Make public aware about environment (eg: Beautiful
forest landscape)
 Broadcast proven stories
 Develop public trust and respect
 Song "Sirasa tells the road" and "yours friend forever"
 Specific music at beginning alarm regular listeners
 Announced by same popular media personnel
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SCIENCES IN THE PROGRAM
 Students send information with approval of teachers
 Clarify information of general public from relevant
authorities, officers and villagers
 Consult scientists in forest department or universities
before giving publicity
 Scientists solve complex problems
 Scientists are asked independent scientific statements
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SCIENCES IN THE PROGRAM
con...
 Awareness messages (eg: Forest conservation) are
prepared by scientists or with assistance of scientists
 Media change method of presentation, simplifies
wording and present in comprehensive manner
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PUBLIC RESPONSES / IMPACTS
 Large number of students
Regularly listen
Request copies of messages for study purposes
Formed societies and inform its activities
Conduct "One minute for environment" programs
Establish “Environment courts" to punish offenders
(eg: Watering trees)
Number of letters sending is rapidly increasing
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PUBLIC RESPONSES / IMPACTS con...
 Public confidence to pursue government (eg: prevent
forest destruction)
 Police cannot ignore distractions by influential personnel
 Offensive incidents (eg: Misuse of forest resources) are
solved or settled without giving publicity
 Politicians and officers corrected mistakes
(eg: patronizing behavior)
 Politicians and businessmen threat for publicizing
destruction (eg: illicit timber trade)
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PUBLIC RESPONSES / IMPACTS con….
 Request more information (eg: Rear species and
specific locations)
 Repeatedly inform willingness to participate (eg: Tree
planting campaigns)
 Leading Newspapers describe as "One hour worth of
one minute“
 The program won Environment Award
 Demand for commercial ads during the period
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BENEFITS TO THE MEDIA
 Listeners and respondents rapidly increasing
 Commercial advertisements earns income
 The cost for a Radio Program per month is
approximately US $ 1,020
 TV program for one moth period require US $ 5,510
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FUTURE OF THE PROGRAMS
 Planning to restructure programs
 Cover all important aspects of environment
 Balanced programs for all different publics
 Programs with more scientific background
 Make message more accurate and develop credibility
 Educate and train personnel to produce more
scientific programs
 Create opportunities to interact with scientists
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FUTURE OF THE PROGRAMS con….
 Very happy to extend their fullest cooperation for TF
on PR in Forest Science
 Provide copies of their Radio and TV programs
 Assure a media support if the next TF meeting is held
in Sri Lanka.
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CONCLUSIONS
 Media considers PR functions very important for
sustainable forest and environment management
 Interact with public, scientists, policy makers, politicians
and other stakeholders efficiently and effectively
 Collect, disseminate and share wide range of knowledge
and information
 Protect forest from uncontrollable forces that cannot be
controlled by forest authorities.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 Mr. Upul Nanayakkara producer of TV programs
 Mr. Lal Sarathkumara producer of Radio programs
 Mr. Kingsly Ratnayaka, Director of the Network
For providing generous support and kind
encouragement
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Thank You
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