Stakeholders are not likely to know about an organisation's activities unlesss thay see or hear about it in the media (including blogs and social networking sites), are involved directly in that activity, or hear about it from the organisation itself.

At a time when most corporate activity in particular is perceived by the community to most likely be all negative because of the world economic crisis, good practice suggests that companies should be stepping up their efforts to engage directly with their stakeholders about corporate activity, including corporate community investment activities.

This is especially important now because, at best, companies can hope to only run on the spot if they continue engaging and communicating in the same manner before community confidence and sentiment sank along with some of the best known international financial institutions.

A changed environment in which negativity and low confidence dominates, provides opportunities for many companies for direct and unguilded dialogue with stakeholders, and an opening also to communicate and engage around the positive and socially responsible activities in which they may be involved to help the community through very difficult times.

The public affairs function, responsible in many companies for corporate responsibility strategy, communications and stakeholder engagement, is exactly the management function to take the lead and craft an approach to best position their organisations with stakeholders.

Allowing an information vacuum for the media to fill during a time of low community confidence will not, in most instances, be advantageous for any corporation.