Press Corporation Limited (PCL) Group chief executive officer, George Partridge has challenged public relations practitioners in the country to always be on top of new media trends and give appropriate advise to management of their institutions on how to handle fake news and other vices that have emerged with the growth of social media.

Delivering a key note address at the virtual annual conference of the Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM) on Friday, Partridge said PR is key to the survival and growth of corporations in these times of new media which can damage companies if not handled properly.

“The image and business of a company can be damaged by fake news online. It is the duty of you as PR practitioners to help companies and organizations handle the new media appropriately,” said Partridge.

Making a presentation on the role of the PR in COVID 19 times, University of Malawi – The Polytechnic senior PR and marketing lecturer Tina Kasamale said it is the duty of PR practitioners to normalize COVID prevention practices among staff, customers and other guests who visit institutions.

“We still have people who are resistant to preventing practices such as wearing masks, washing hands, social distancing and others. It the duty of PR officers to spread messages that convinces people that this is just the new way of doing things,” said Kasamale.

Meanwhile, Pilirani Phiri, press officer to the country’s Vice President Saulos Chilima, and retired National Bank of Malawi Public Relations Manager Annie Magola were named during the conference as 2020 Public Relations Practitioner of the Year and Honorary Fellow of the Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM).

Pilirani Phiri, 2020 PR Practitioner of the Year, receives his award

The PR practitioners also elected British High Commission Communications Manager Benson Linje as new president and PR academic Mindano as vice president, replacing Teveta Head of PR Lewis Msasa and FDH Bank PRO Lorraine Lusinje respectively. Both Msasa and Lusinje did not contest.