QUESTION: There are few things more unpleasant in the workplace than complaints of discrimination and harassment. Is this something my company should be concerned about
going into 2006?
ANSWER: In a word: Yes. And if you think that's strictly an HR concern rather than a PR problem, that's even more disturbing.
From a PR viewpoint, accusations that a corporation or organization encourages an environment of discrimination and harassment is the equivalent to an Evander Holyfield-worthy
punch to the solar plexus. Even if such charges of bias are proven groundless, the stigma from the accusations will stick like a toxic residue and poison both public and industry
perception of the institution's character.
Pay attention to the recent survey from the Gallup Organization: At least 15% of all workers, or one out of every six people in the workforce, stated they were the
recipients of prejudice and bias. Repeat: One of out every six.
What kind of bias is being experienced? Gallup's national survey of 1,252 adults found significant levels of workplace discrimination: 26% of those surveyed cited sex bias
complaints, followed by 23% stating racial discrimination and 17% claiming age discrimination. Women were more than twice as likely to encounter workplace discrimination,
according to the survey.
Asian-Americans reported the highest percentage of discrimination of any particular racial or ethnic group (31%), followed by African-Americans (26%), Hispanics (18%) and
whites (12%).
Age discrimination complaints were across the board: Those between 40 and 49 ranked highest (18%), followed closely by those in the 50-to-59 category (17%) and the 30-to-39 set
(15%). Workers who were 60 and older and between 18 and 29 also weighed in (11% respectively).
The Gallup inquiry did not cover discrimination based on sexual orientation, religion, disability or veteran status.
Gallup's survey was conducted as part of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC's own statistics show the problem
of employment discrimination is still very much alive.
From October 2004 through September 2005, 75,428 charges of employment discrimination were filed with the agency. Of those charges, 61% were filed under Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act, which covers race, color, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), religion, national origin and retaliation; 20% of charges were filed under the Americans
with Disabilities Act; and 18% of charges were filed under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
You don't need to be Bertrand Russell to do the mathematics on that equation - it only takes one well-publicized discrimination lawsuit to create a PR nightmare.
QUESTION: Is podcasting going to fade away in 2006?
ANSWER: Don't bet on it. According to a new survey from Bridge Ratings covering ten major
markets, some 4.8 million people downloaded and listened to a podcast during 2005. In 2004, the number was 820,000. By 2010, that number is expected to rise to anywhere from 45
million to 75 million.
But the measurement metrics of podcasting deserve attention: some 20% of users surveyed by Bridge Ratings download and listen to podcasts on a weekly basis. That group
averages six podcast downloads per week and spends approximately four hours a month listening to the podcasts.
So how can PR professionals take advantage of this new media environment? After all, there are a seemingly endless number of podcast programs and more seem to pop up each
week.
Steve O'Keeffe, founder and president of the high-tech PR agency O'Keeffe & Co. in Alexandria, Va., suggests that one map out a PR strategy by viewing podcasting as
broadcast history repeating itself.
"Podcasting frees us up to narrowcast rich content, both video and audio," he says. "It is analogous to the beginnings of cable television. Once there were three-to-four
networks. Now there's a plethora of special interest programming. Podcasting provides that same reach. It delivers rich content material to vast communities of interest. There
is going to be a whole slew of new opportunities associated with podcasting - a rise of a whole series of new channels to reach target audiences."
Contact: Steve O'Keeffe, 703.883.9000
(To ask a question of the PR Sherpa, pass your inquiry to our editor Phil Hall at [email protected].)