Lesson 11: House Journal
B A (JMC) (3-YDC),
SEMESTER SYSTEM
SEMESTER –IV
SEC III: PUBLIC
RELATIONS AND EVENT MANAGEMENT
Unit -1: PUBLIC
RELATIONS
LESSON - 11: House Journal
1. Know about house journals.
2. Understand the purpose of a house journal.
3. Identify the contents of a house journal.
4. Steps and requirements in bringing out a house journal
5. Know the benefits of a house journal.
A
Public Relations Practitioner can exploit the media to improve the image of his
organisation and to build up gradually an all-round good will for it and its
products. There are many tools of communication at his disposal. One such tool
is House Journal in print medium. House journals can be Internal and External.
The internal journal is meant for internal publics, mainly employees. The
external house journal is meant for external publics like dealers, shareholders
or consumers. The external house journals can also be meant for employees as
well as external publics.
The
house journal reflects whether the organization is an open or a closed one. In
a closed organization, there will be a one-way channel of communication. It
does not take into account the views of employees. Such journal generally
covers the views of top executives mainly the Chief Executive Officer or
Managing Director. In an open company, the journal also covers the views of
employees. Employees get an opportunity to put forth their point of view. The
journal becomes a two-way communication in an open company.
An
internal house journal serves as an important connection between a management
and the employees. In a large corporation, a house journal reaches employees
belonging to different disciplines, cadres and interests. It bridges the gap
and creates a fellow-feeling among them. The PR department is generally
responsible for bringing out the house journal and the editorial policy of the
journal is dependent on the overall policy of the management.
Description
A
dictionary describes the house journal as that of “a publication produced by a
particular firm, institution or society and dealing mainly with its own
activities”
Collins
dictionary says, it is “a publication produced for the employees of a company
or organization in order to keep them updated with news and events”
Cambridge
dictionary puts it this way. “A house journal is a newspaper produced by a
company to tell employees what is happening in the company” and “a newspaper or
magazine that is typically read by a particular group of people and represents
their opinions”.
By
this, we understand that a house journal is a publication meant for informing a
particular group of people.
History
The
origin of house journals can be traced back to Chinese Han Dynasty in 200 B.C.
These were internal communications issued to keep the royal court informed.
They became official gazettes in the seventeenth century Tang Dynasty, and are
the forerunners of today’s house journals.
In the
1880s company magazines began to appear in large-scale British organizations.
The first official external house journal was ‘The Travelers Record’, published
on March 1, 1865 by Travelers Insurance Companies at Hartford, Connecticut.
This publication is still continuing, though the name and contents have changed
several times. This external house journal, now published under the name
“Protection”, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2015.
John H
Patterson, President of National Cash Register Co., is acknowledged for
establishing the first company-sponsored internal publication in the United
States, the NCR Factory News, in 1887. It is still being published under the
title of NCR World. Patterson was the first one to use the term “house organ”
for his publication.
The
United Planters Association of Southern India published the first house journal
in India, the ‘Planters Chronicle’ in 1905. By the 1930s almost every
corporation had one.
When
managements recognised the importance of public relations, PR practitioners
came to the forefront. To play this role in an effective way, they have been
exploiting both the internal and external media of communication to an optimum
extent. In the process, the print medium along with other media of
communication, stood them in good stead. It is in this context, the house
journals, bulletins, handbooks, brochures, pamphlets and newsletters came to be
produced in a methodical fashion and circulated among the internal and external
audiences according to the requirements of the organisation.
The
importance assigned to the house journals can be gauged from the fact that a
professional body of Editors of House Journals came to be constituted way back
in 1956. It was known as the Indian Association of Industrial Editors. Later,
it was called the Association of Business Communicators of India (ABCI).
According to ABCI, the oldest publication of manufacturing house is said to be
the “Delhi Cloth Mills Patrika published in 1931. This publication could be
looked upon as the forerunner of our present day house journals in India.
Internal House Journal
The
prime aim of internal house journal is to keep the employees of the
organisation informed of the welfare measures and the concern of the
organisation for its employees. It also aims at providing a forum for the
employees to express their views including their grievances. Therefore, it
serves as a forum for a two-way communication, thereby promoting the healthy
growth of an organisation. The organisation also uses the internal house
journal to stress the fact that the management is genuinely interested in the
welfare of its employees. The internal house journal is meant for the employees
under the roof of an organisation.
As a
rule, it is not a priced publication. It is meant for free distribution. So, to
use the PR parlance it is meant for the internal audience. Broadly speaking, it
aims to inform and educate the employees at all levels about the organisation,
its concern for the employees’ welfare, its programmes and problems. It also
aims to provide the employees with a forum to express their view points and to
air their grievances, if any. It is against this wider background; the Editor
of an internal House journal has to plan its contents. It shall be understood
that there is no set rules or rigid criteria governing the nature of contents.
The contents are planned according to the nature and requirements of an
organisation on behalf of which the House journal is published. Realising its
role and importance many organisations in the private and public sectors in our
country today publish internal house journals. In fact, their publication has
become one of the primary functions of the PR practitioner. Obviously these
organisations are interested in forging strong links with the employees so that
the latter may gradually develop a sense of complete identification with the
organisation. The organisation also uses the forum of an internal house journal
to stress the fact that it is deeply interested in the welfare of its
employees. As such, the employees’ welfare activities undertaken by the
organisation are regularly published in the internal house journal for the
information as well as guidance of the employees.
Contents
The
typical contents of a house journal may include –
a.
A regular feature entitled ‘from the Chairman’s
desk’ containing a message on a subject of interest to the employees.
b.
A short ‘editorial’ from the Editor of the
journal.
c.
A topical feature on any ‘facet of the
organisation’ needing the employees’ appreciation.
d.
A regular feature entitled “land marks or
milestones’ spotlighting the achievements of the organisation.
e.
A regular feature entitled “welfare” on the Employees’
on welfare measures undertaken by the organisation.
f.
A regular feature on ‘humour’ containing light
reading material like jokes, cartoons, caricature, tit-bits etc.
g.
A regular feature on ‘social issues’ containing
news of engagements, weddings, promotions, transfers, retirements, achievements
of the employees or their children with illustrations.
h.
A regular feature entitled ‘sports and culture’
on the cultural activities of the employees including sports with illustrations.
i.
A regular column for ‘CSR and ESG’ activities
of the organisation.
j.
A column for ‘letters to the editor’ to have the
feedback from the readers.
Here,
it is important to know the difference between a newsletter and a house
journal. Newsletters communicate news of the latest activities of the
organisation to the target audience in a timely and speedy manner. House
journals inform the employees and customers about the performance and style of
functioning of the organisation. Both the Newsletter and the House Journal are
similar to newspapers. While newspapers are sent out on a daily basis, the
newsletters are often only sent out on a weekly basis and the house journals
are sent out on fortnightly or monthly basis.
Editorial
What
is an editorial and who writes it? To answer this question, one should
understand the general background to editorials. In newspapers or periodicals,
we read editorials prominently printed in a particular page. In the newspapers,
usually, editorials are found on the first page below the masthead. The editor
of a periodical is the most important person in the set up. In short, he is its
kingpin. It is he who lays down policies of the periodical in consultation with
the management and oversees the work of publishing it. Here, the Public
Relations practitioner assumes the role of the Editor. House journals do not
generally carry editorials. However, they do carry editorials written by PR
practitioners who edit them. They got an opportunity to express themselves in
the columns of the house journals. Editorial stands next in importance to the
message of Chairman or Managing Director of the organisation. The editorials
could deal with the issues like (1) specific and current interest of the
organisation and its employees and (2) bird’s eye survey of the contents of the
issue and (3) as a curtain raiser to stimulate the reader’s interest in the
current issue. Editorials of house journals should inform, educate and motivate
the readers i.e. the employees or the customers.
Steps to bring out a house journal:
To
bring out a house journal there shall be a planning, organising of things,
finalising the content, fixing of a printer and its distribution etc. Let us see
them one by one.
Planning: At
this stage, a concept that best serves the objectives of the company has to be
developed including the format, size and periodicity. Plan all these keeping in
view the objective, target audience and the budget. Get approved of all these
by the management.
Organizing: After
the management’s approval, organize staff members to proceed with the task. A
detailed schedule for writing/collection of stories, production, printing and
mailing has to be worked out and adhered to strictly.
Content: For content, can
invite write-ups from the staff members if it is internal journal. If it is for
external public’s, can seek write-ups from the external public’s. Identifying
the people those who have a flair for writing is an art.
Publishing:
Before sending the journal for publishing, lots of tasks to be attended. Press
job includes editing, proof-reading, designing, selecting photographs, graphics
and cover page designs. PR practitioner as Editor has to coordinate with many
people for the task.
Distribution:
After the journal is printed, it shall be distributed among the target
audience. It is necessary to select the quickest and economical means to get
the journal into the hands of the readers.
Feedback: To
get feedback about the content, a questionnaire asking which are liked most or
disliked by the employees and the reasons for that must be included. Feedback
will help in improving the content.
Many
companies are now coming out with video magazines and e-magazines for their employee
community.
Requirements in launching a house journal:
The
requirements to launch a house journal are its (1) registration with the Press
Registrar, (2) obtaining postal concession from postal department, (3) compilation
of mailing list by gathering the postal and email addresses of the recipients
of the journal, (4) fixing a printer and (5) selection of paper etc.
Registration: The
title of the house journal has to be cleared by the Press Registrar General of
India, Govt of India in New Delhi. This is a statutory requirement under the
Press and Registration of Periodicals Act of 2023 which came into force on 1st
March 2024 amending the earlier Act. The Editor and the Publisher or Printer
desirous of bringing out any newspaper or any publication which includes house
journals containing public news and comments will have to make a declaration
before the authority concerned. For clearing the name of the house journal, a
formal application has to be made to the Press Registrar General of India. In
the first instance, a panel of three titles has to be forwarded to him. He will
give clearance of one title or name as well as assign a registration number
that has to be printed on the back cover of the house journal.
Postal concession: Corporate
publications such as house journals along with printed books, newspapers and
other journals are exempted from GST. They can be posted at concessional rates
provided the PR practitioner complies with the conditions laid down in the
relevant rules of the Post Office Guide. The most important condition in this
respect is that it should have been registered with the Press Registrar and
bears in print the registered number assigned by him. A formal application has
to be made to the Superintend of the nearby post office addressed to the Post
Master General who after satisfying himself that the journal fulfils the
conditions will issue a concession order. There is no registration fee for
registering a publication at post office. After obtaining the concession order,
the PR practitioner has to ensure that the copies of the journal are posted on
a particular date from a specified post office. However, if he could not do
this for a month or for a period of cycle, he may have to intimate the
authorities of the same who will specify a convenient date on which the copies
could be posted.
Mailing list: When
the PR practitioner brings out regularly corporate publications in general and
a house journal in particular, he has to have a mailing list compiled and kept
ready much in advance. The list will contain the names and addresses of persons
and their organisations including email IDs to whom the copies of publications
are to be sent regularly, as a matter of routine. Generally, a comprehensive mailing
list will consist (1) VIPs and Authors complimentary copy list containing MPs,
MLAs etc, (2) free exchange list consisting of sister organisations, (3) voucher
copy list for advertisers to be sent along with bills, (4) distribution list of
heads of various sections of the organisation and its employees (5) and a file
copy list to preserve a minimum of 20 copies of each issue for future
reference. These lists will have to be updated periodically, say every 3
months. The publisher is also required to send some copies to the Press
Registrar General, Post Master General and the Commissioner of Police/
Collector & District Magistrate of the City or District along with
periodical declaration of the Publisher & Editor.
Printer: Selection of a printer
is an important aspect in the process of publishing a corporate publication.
Publishing often includes activities like editing, formatting and preparing the
material for dissemination. Printing, however is only concerned with making
many copies of the said material. It specifically focuses on the physical
process of creating copies of the written content. The printer will guide the
publisher on the issues like paper, format, size and the colours etc. If the
requirement of the publisher and the suggestions of the printer could match,
the output will be definitely good. Fixing a printer can be on the basis of
calling for quotations from various printers and selecting the one who quotes
the lowest or by directly entrusting the work to the empaneled printer.
Paper: Much thought has to be
bestowed on the choice of paper for use in the house journal. This is dependent
on the budget and the size of the journal, apart from the number of pages
proposed to be given. Art paper is a costly variety, but the printing results
will be good. In case the budget provision is limited, imitation art paper can
be used. The usual approach is to print the cover in real art paper and the
inside pages in imitation art paper or any paper of that kind.
Production norms and techniques
In
respect of format of a good house journal, the demy folio that is tabloid size
of 8 pages will be the ideal one in view of the scope it offers for display of
reading matter and illustrations. Therefore, the best size is tabloid. The next
best size is demy quarto of 16 to 24 pages. Usually, the demy folio size can
carry 4 columns per page. Reading matter may be set in 8 point or 10-point body
type. Headlines could be set in 18 point to 24 point, double or single column
according to news value of items. Lead para that is first para of each item may
be set in double column with drop letters or drop capital letters in the
beginning of the first para. Side headings or sub headings could also be given.
The size, style, contents, colours, number of pages etc depend upon the affordability
of the organisation. It is important that the masthead i.e. the banner also
called as the flag of the house journal to be attractive. More important than
this is giving a suitable name to the house journal so that it indicates the
organisation and its activities in one go. Logo and other insignia of the
organisation will have to be used liberally in each and every issue of the
journal.
External House Journal
External
House Journals are designed for customers or potential customers of an
organisation and are meant for external circulation. Based upon their contents,
they can further be broadly grouped into three categories: i) The first
category is that of a scholarly journal and can be equated in almost every
respect with a standard technical journal; ii) The second category is the
magazine. This contains general non-technical information and information about
products of the organisation, without technical details. iii) The third
category is the periodical catalogue, which is similar to a trade catalogue.
The basic difference between this and the trade catalogue is, that the former
is issued under the same title at regular intervals, just like a periodical
publication. The size, contents and the periodicity of house journals – be it
internal or external – may vary but all these serve the purpose of information
dissemination.
Benefits
The
house journal field has been expanding in three ways simultaneously – building
circulations, adding pages and bringing out new publications for special
interest groups of the sponsoring organisation. Presently, the house journals
represent business, industry, labour unions, universities, colleges or
fraternity, clubs, associations, religious organisations, trusts or other
special interest groups. Company magazines came to perform a number of
important roles within large-scale business such as the construction of
corporate identity, the creation of organizational culture, the validation and
negation of managerial power and the evolution of industrial welfare. It is the
multi-faceted nature of the company magazine that suggests the rise in its
importance and also its centrality to those interested in the relationship between
business and its customers.
Summary
A
house journal is a publication that is regularly released by an organistion to
inform the public about its performance and style of functioning. It can also
be used to communicate with employees, customers and other interested people.
House journal is also known as in-house magazine, company magazine or
house-organ.
There
are three broad categories of house journals - internal, external and a
combination of both. Internal house journal is published for employees or
members of the organisation, whereas external house journal is brought out for
customers or potential customers of the organisation. A combination publication
tries to do both. With a view to maintaining continuous liaison with the
employees, an organisation publishes a house journal. The house journal meant
for the employees under the roof of the organisation is known as the internal
house journal. It informs and educates the employees about the organisation,
its concern for its employees’ welfare, its progress and problems. In a larger
sense it serves as a forum for a two-way discussion between the employees on
the one hand and the management on the other.
The
features that are to be covered in the house journal are (1) Message of the
Chairman or any top official (2) Editorial (3) A topical feature on the
organisation (4) Landmarks highlighting the achievements of the organisation
(5) Welfare measures undertaken by the organisation (6) Humour page with jokes, cartoons (7)
social pages containing engagements, weddings, transfers, postings,
retirements, achievements of employees children (8) cultural pages covering the
cultural and sports activities and (9) CSR activities of the organisation. The
usual size of the house journal is tabloid or A4 and there is no limitation on
the number of pages, but it usually carries a multiple of 4 pages say 8 or 12
or 16 and the like.
Having
taken approval of the management and after deciding the size and the contents
of the house journal, the PR practitioner shall take into account the
requirements like registration, postal concession, fixing the printer, deciding
on the paper and finalising the mailing lists. To make the publication
attractive, the masthead may be printed in multi-colours. If there is scope,
photo montage can be used regularly. Same procedure is adopted in publishing
e-journals and video journals.
FAQs
1. What is a house journal?
2. List out the features that can be covered in a house
journal?
3. What are the requirements for bringing out a house journal?
4. Briefly explain production norms of a house journal.
5. List out the benefits of a house journal.
Model Answers
1.
There are many tools of communication at the
disposal of PR practitioner. One such tool is House Journal. It can be Internal
and External. The internal journal is meant for internal publics mainly
employees. It becomes a two-way communication in an open company. An internal
house journal serves as an important connection between a management and the
employees. In a large corporation, a house journal reaches employees belonging
to different disciplines, cadres and interests. It bridges the gap and creates a
fellow-feeling among them. The external house journal is meant for external
public’s like dealers, shareholders or consumers. The external house journals
can also be meant for employees as well as external publics.
2. The
features that are to be covered in the house journal are (1) Message of the
Chairman or any top official (2) Editorial (3) A topical feature on the
organisation (4) Landmarks highlighting the achievements of the organisation
(5) Welfare measures undertaken by the organisation (6) Humour page with jokes, cartoons (7) Social
pages containing engagements, weddings, transfers, postings, retirements,
achievements of employees children (8) cultural pages covering the cultural and
sports activities (9) CSR activities to showcase the community relations of the
organisation and (10) Letters to the Editor as a feed back mechanism.
3.
The
requirements to launch a house journal are (1) Registration with the Press
Registrar General of India, Govt of India as per Press Registration Act 2023
(2) Obtaining postal concession from the Post Master General of Postal
Department according to Post Office Guide (3) Compilation of various mailing
lists by gathering the names, postal address, organisation together with email
ID and other details for distribution of journal copies (4) Selecting and
fixing a suitable printer by following a set procedure (5) Finalizing the choice
of paper for printing (6) Deciding the mode of distribution of house journal
after it is printed.
4.
The
best size for printing a house journal is 8 pages in tabloid size. The next
best size is demy quarto with say 16 to 24 pages. The demy folio size can carry
4 columns per page. Reading matter may be set in 8 point or 10-point body type.
Headlines could be set in 18 point to 24 point, double or single column
according to news value of items. Lead para may be set in double column with
drop capital letters in the beginning. Side headings or sub heading could also
be given. The size, style, contents, colors, number of pages etc depend upon
the affordability of the organisation and the readers. The name of the house
journal shall indicate the organisation and its activities. It is important
that the masthead is attractive. Logo and other insignia of the organisation should
also appear on the journal.
5.
The house journal field has been expanding in 3
ways i.e. building circulations, adding pages and bringing out new publications
for special interest groups. House journals represent business, industry,
labour union, university, college or fraternity, clubs, associations, religious
organisations or other special interest groups. House journals came to perform
a number of important roles within large-scale business such as the
construction of corporate identity, the creation of organizational culture, the
validation and negation of managerial power and the evolution of industrial
welfare. The house journal is an important link between the business and its
stakeholders.
1.
There are _______categories of house journals.
a.
Two
b.
Three
c.
Four
d.
Five
2.
Editors
of House Journals was constituted in _______.
a. 1961
b. 1890
c. 1956
d. 1905
3.
Internal
house journal is not a _________ publication
a.
Business
b. Commercial
c. Priced
d. Free
4.
House Journal is exempted from _________ Tax.
a.
Goods
& Services
b.
Income
c.
House
d.
General
5.
Press
and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 is effective from ________
a. 26th January 2024
b. 15th August 2023
c. 1st March 2024
d. 2nd October 2023
Glossary:
Masthead: Top portion of a newspaper page that contains
information about the publication, including the Logo, Title, editorial staff
and contact information. It may also include details about the publication’s
ownership, location, advertising rates and subscription rates. It is also
called Banner
Lead: An opening paragraph of an article or news item that
gives the audience the most important information of the news story in a
concise and clear manner, while still maintaining the readers’ interest.
Column: Columns are vertical rows of printed matter in a
publication. The basic unit used to calculate the cost of newspaper advertising
is the single column centimeter which is 1 cm height by 1 column in width.
Photomontage: It is a process of combining several photos together
into a new image by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping them to appear
as a seamless print.
Tabloid: It is the size of a paper measuring 11 inches into 17
inches and is used for a variety of applications including newsletters and
house journals.
Editor: A person who collects pieces of writing by different
authors and prepares them for publication in a newspaper or journal. He writes
the editorial i.e. the leading article.
Publisher: A person typically owner responsible for the entire
operation of a publication. Publishing includes printing, distribution,
marketing as well as selecting and editing news stories, managing reports and
overseeing everything.
Printer: Primarily focus on the physical production of books,
journals and any publication.
Press Registrar: Is an
authority appointed by Govt of India who registers and maintains a register of
newspapers and periodicals.
Postal concession: Registered newspapers and publications get postal
concession in the postage charges.
Key words: House Journal, Corporate publication, Editor, Publisher, Printer,
Y.
BABJI
Academic
Counsellor, Public Relations (since 1989)
AP
Open University/Dr BR Ambedkar Open University
Editor, Public Relations Voice
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