Business compliance is a corporate function that has only been evolving for the last twenty years and means different things to different people. As a rule, business compliance managers do not start a career in this field, but enter this role after having previously worked in various related professions, e.g. in the legal department, internal audit, etc. Sometimes all of us who deal with business compliance in one way or another find it difficult to even explain what we are doing. We may already have difficulty interpreting the basic concepts and using their English translations. Therefore, a number of examples from the front pages of newspapers often help us in this: business compliance helps to ensure that the company does not find itself in the position of Enron, Siemens, Volkswagen or any other well-known companies. Through these cases, the general public has mostly encountered for the first time huge scandals of balance sheet manipulation, bribery, consumer fraud, and so on.

Behind the headlines are journalists representing the interests of the general public. They cover different areas and are usually specialized. Traditionally, they are mainly interested in irregularities. Therefore, on the one hand, for us as guardians of the company, they always pose a risk that a certain irregularity will be revealed. As a result, we sometimes get into the trenches too quickly, sharpen our spears and put up a shield. In the team, we brainstorm, dissect journalistic questions, and turn sentences of answers indefinitely so as not to say too much or too little.

However - journalists are actually our allies. Our allies are not only because - also - headlines help us raise awareness of management and supervisory bodies and co-workers about possible negative disclosures (which have otherwise happened to someone else), but also because their work can better understand certain irregularities, better we understand their far-reaching effects and learn from them. Time and again, journalistic stories from the front pages strengthen us in the belief that our work within the company is primarily aimed at preventing irregularities and their harmful effects, not only for the company, but also for consumers and the general public. They help us to spread the awareness that economic development and profit need to be directed towards the common good.

It is therefore imperative to take off the glasses through which journalists sometimes look like evil elves, and rather strive to build a professional and honest partnership with them. When building a risk protection system, we need to ask ourselves whether the relationships with journalists in our company are optimally managed. If we are organized in such a way that we do not have the authority to communicate with the media, it is essential that we at least work closely together. It should be borne in mind that the first task of the compliance function is to have the widest possible and comprehensive overview of all the risks to which the company is currently exposed. Therefore, we simply must not be ignored or overheard either in the phase of formulating communication strategies and policies or omitted from the information loop in concrete situations.

Alone or together, we must create a pool of knowledge and experience and contacts in the company, which will enable us to have calm, prudent and professional relationships with the media. This means that some time and resources must be devoted to monitoring not only the media mentions of our company, but also all the daily news in the field of economy and events in the field of media. In following and knowing the trends, we rely on our fellow experts in the field of corporate communication, but let us also look into the matter ourselves. It is good to establish and cultivate a professional relationship with journalists who cover the economy or especially specific areas that interest us. It is important to know the policy of their editorial offices - whether they have enough time to submit an in-depth article, whether they are under time or other pressure, etc. In doing so, let us be aware that journalists are different, that they are differently conscientious in their work, and that they come from different media, but that, as a rule, they do not know what business compliance is. They haven't learned about it, nobody talks about it, it sounds too professional, they don't have time for it… So let's be professional, prove ourselves as good and informed experts of our own company and knowledgeable interlocutors. At the appropriate opportunity, we always explain to journalists in an understandable and concise way what the compliance function is and why the companies they have established can be better. Namely, a company that will be able to explain to a (susceptible) journalist that a certain irregularity occurred in spite of all possible safeguards will certainly be treated differently than a company that does nothing in the field of compliance risk management. In most cases, in an informal conversation with a journalist, it can turn out that there is no story at all and the dust settles quickly. Of course, it is up to us and our companies to make sure that fuses actually live in everyday business, not just on paper. In such a case, the damage can only be greater, as trust and reputation will be all the more affected.

So when we build a professional relationship and mutual trust in various formal and informal meetings with journalists, answering journalists' questions will become less uncomfortable to do. It will be easier for them e.g. asked them to give us some time for feedback and we will not be suspicious. If we deem it necessary, we will call them by phone or meet them in person and entrust them off the record with information that may be of interest to them. Let e-mail not be the main means of communication. Even if our trust is ever abused, either by publishing unofficial information or inaccurate citations, let’s not despair. However, they are our allies. And we are theirs - even though they may not know it yet. After all, sometimes even our own co-workers are not aware of this, and sometimes even the management or supervisors are not, so let’s be patient and patient.

So to make it easier to build a relationship that may only eventually be recognized by both parties as a partnership, thereby protecting the company and its reputation, let’s not forget the following three recommendations:

1. Let's be knowledgeable in the field of media and daily news and build and maintain a personal professional relationship with journalists who cover topics from our scope. Let’s work closely with fellow corporate communication experts.

2. In relations with journalists, we radiate self-confidence, information and knowledge of our own business. Let’s be able to explain in one to two sentences what business compliance is.

3. Don’t just communicate with journalists by email. We should also entrust them with sensitive information off the record where appropriate. Then we take off the opponent's hat and explain to the interlocutor how the company tried to prevent a certain irregularity, remove all important aspects and be quick and honest in admitting mistakes.

If, after all this, there will be no negative journalistic article at all, or if it turns out to be more in-depth, verified and credible, we have done our job. Together.

Jerica Jančar