1. On the public relations and organisational social responsibility issue 
Following the latest Global Alliance Council meeting in Rome in June 21 (please see later), your executive board has just recently (August 22) had a long teleconference in which it decided, amongst other items of relevance, to proceed with the preparation of a common policy and guidelines document focused on the organisational social responsibility issue and its relationship with the development of the public relations profession.

This, together with an action plan to involve each of you in the creation and maintenance of a database of best practices from around the world to be accessed from our web site. The project is being coordinated by John Paluszek from Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and by a team of experts from many other countries (Italy, Canada, South Africa). We do hope you will want to inform your members so that, if they wish, they may participate to this effort. 
All inquiries to john.paluszek@ketchum.com

2. After the Nike-Kaski Supreme Court decision 
In an August 12 teleconference, Nike vice president for public affairs, the company's Supreme Court legal council and PRSA's chairman Reed Bolton Byrum (the PRSA organised the event), held a one hour teleconference on the aftermath of the recent Supreme Court decision not to decide on the Kaski vs.Nike case. Most questions from participants, including senior vice-presidents from major corporations, agencies and senior consultants, focused on the effects of the Supreme Court decision to date and on the possible implications on other organisations.

In short: 

• Nike now spends much more time in the scrupulous legal review for every press release, public statement, interview, publication, Website text or public appearance 
• Nike has not published last year's social report but has instead distributed it to employees (internal relations are apparently non affected by the California commercial speech law, if not for state based employee locations) 
• The case has not yet reached a final decision in the California judiciary. Should Nike be cleared from the Kaski accusation, only the latter could eventually appeal to the Supreme Court but this would not be on a possible breach of the 'first amendment'. Should Nike be sentenced, then the punishment could be as severe as for the company to reimburse all California customers who would wish to be reimbursed. In any case this excludes, in the foreseeable future, the possibility of the Supreme Court discussing again if organisational speech is protected by the first amendment. 
• There is no early and open evidence that the case has impacted on other company’s day to day public relations activities. There is, however, a second law suit filed in California against a company (Kentucky Fried Chicken) based on similar grounds as the Nike-Kaski one. 

The Global Alliance executive board closely monitoring the developments of this issue so crucial to the very essence of the public relations profession, will keep its members informed and, where felt necessary, will take adequate action. 

Also, the success of this PRSA organised event stimulates the Global Alliance in planning to organise similar teleconferences on major global public relations issues for its members and members' members in order to serve its purpose of acting as an umbrella for discussion, a catalyst for the development of common standards and platforms and as a means of action. 

3. Professional accreditation in the world: Where do we stand? 
A Global Alliance working group coordinated by Margi Moscardi, executive director of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) is preparing a common standards approach to the issue of professional accreditation and the relationships of this process inside associations with external state or private or social regulatory or academic institutions. A report on the situation as it stands today will shortly be released to all GA members. For further information please contact margim@prisa.co.za  

4. Increasing regulation of public relations: What is happening? 
Slowly, but surely....the Global Alliance regulation for public relations practices around the world study is proceeding and before the end of this year Global Alliance members will receive a first report on three countries: South Africa, UK and Italy.

The objective of this exercise is to stimulate other member organisations in supplying a similar report. This will allow an updated picture on the increasing number of regulatory interventions on specific PR practices rather than on the profession per se and will give us adequate food for thought on whether the GA should not advocate for harmonisation and develop common platforms to be presented to national and international authorities by its member associations. For further information please contact tonimuzi@tin.it 

5. What is truth in public relations? 
The question of 'truth' in public relations and its relationship with the media is certainly not new, but is far from having been fully addressed, and has recently become a major political issue in many countries. The Institute of Public Relations' (IPR) president elect Ann Gregory has recently and publicly called for a review of this issue between professionals, public authorities and representatives of the media. The Global Alliance intends to put this item on its agenda also by requesting its members to comment and advise on their national situation as well as on how the Global Alliance should/could appropriately act. 
For further information please contact Nigel O'Connor, head of policy of the IPR at nigelo@ipr.org.uk  

6. World public relations festival a success...also financially speaking 
The FERPI organised Rome WPRF was a full success. 623 delegates from 38 countries participated. Some 2000 where the visitors from all over the world to the live on-line video streaming service provided by Enel, one of the three, along with Alitalia and Lottomatica, main sponsors of the event. The event was also a financial success: against a total spent of 200 thousand Euro, FERPI's income from the event (sponsorships and registration fees) amounted to 240 thousand Euro. Fifty percent of the net margin will be channeled by FERPI to the Global Alliance in order to 'improve its excellent performance to date'. In the meantime FERPI also changed its leadership: new chairperson is now Sissi Peloso, a consultant from Verona, the first ever woman to lead the Association. 

7. Coming appointments: 
2003
September 11 - 14 EUPRERA Congress, Tallin, Estonia 
September 16 – 17 Institute of Public Relations of Singapore, Singapore 
September 17 Public Relations Society of Slovenia, Slovenia - annual conference 
October 25 - 28 Public Relations Society of America, New Orleans 
2004
February TBA Miami 
14 June Canadian Public Relations Society, Quebec 
8. 2003 Membership fees are due for payment. If you have not received your invoice, please contact The Global Alliance Secretariat, Susan Richardson at susanr@prisa.co.za 

Thank you for your attention, very best regards,

Toni Muzi Falconi 

Contact: Toni Muzi Falconi
FERPI 39 335 6100384 
tonimuzi@tin.it