List all the advantages of having a single communication department that directs communication with all stakeholders.
What are the advantages of a decentralised approach, where instead of a single department, communication specialists are employed in different divisions or units throughout the organisation, or stakeholders can contact anyone in the organisation for comment?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using public relations and/or specialist communications consultancies instead of in-house employees?
Feedback
In thinking about centralisation, have you considered issues such as: having more control over information released about the organisation; being able to direct media requests to appropriate (and trained) spokespeople; being able to ensure all information is newsworthy or of value; and checking consistency of corporate messages? The disadvantage of a centralised approach may well be that too much control could appear to be suspicious (trying to block free access to information), slow down the process by which stakeholders (particularly the media) can get information and negate the value of local knowledge or relationships.
