As you can probably tell by now, I really love the practice of public relations. I'm biased, of course, but one of the reasons I love it so much is the power. Many are misguided and thinking tactics equal results. But you strategically and as a management function, PR can change the world. I'd like to think that PR would only be used to change the world for good but I'm not that naive. We can look all around us and see examples of when PR has been misused when it was used as manipulation or propaganda. I want to define ethics in public relations practice today and spend some time thinking about why ethical practice is so important to our profession. I like this quote from Malcolm X. It's easy to forget the weight of the responsibility of working with media. All of us who touch media and create messaging, it's important that we understand the impact we can have on people, situations, even culture. To add some context, let's consider American's media consumption. These numbers are prior to COVID-19 and that has shaken up our media habits even more. People are spending upwards of seven-and-a-half hours consuming some type of media. Traditional media is like legacy media: ABC, CBS, NBC, The New York Times, Washington Post, and so on. On top of traditional media, consumers are also using digital media: Instagram, Facebook, Netflix, HBO Max, whatever. The amount of time Americans are consuming media is only increasing. This presents opportunity for the field of public relations, lots of promise of growth, lots of ways to communicate with consumers. However, this might also be seen as a risk since consumers then are exposed to persuasion for more than seven hours per day. There's a lot of power in that. There are many complaints about PR, always have been. That stems from our sorted past, the line, the manipulation, P. T. Barnum. Even now, some PR practitioners do not practice ethical ways. Some blame PR for intentionally misleading the public. This comes with framing and how we're telling our story as PR people. It's important that we always practice honesty, never trying to hide the truth. That would be practicing manipulation and we are better than that. We also want more for our profession. Some say public relations perpetuates an image and is not reality and then it creates misinformation. Sure, I won't disagree that these things can happen sometimes even unintentionally. That's why I wanted to talk to you about ethics and practice. Just say you have a frame of reference when you head out into the field. The field of ethics involves systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. Ethics is moral philosophy. We do not all share the same moral philosophy. In the public relations discipline, ethics includes values such as honesty, openness, loyalty, fairness, respect, integrity, and forthright communication. Often, public relations is criticized for a lack of ethics. However, public relations ethics have evolved since press agentry and P. T. Barnum. Edward Bernays called this early time as The Public be Damned era, meaning that press agents were concerned with generating publicity at almost any cost. This has garnered are unethical reputation in modern-day public relations. If used as a management function, a counselor, an advisor, ethical practice is of the utmost concern. The current state of ethics in public relations practice depends heavily on codes of ethics held by the major professional associations like PRSA or the Arthur W. Page Society. Membership in these groups is voluntary, so not all public relations practitioners are members. Most codes of ethics provide no enforcement monitoring or recourse for their infringement, leaving them without much power. To be a public relations practitioner, it is crucial that you operate at the highest of standards. You have moral obligations to several entities. First, yourself. Acting ethically preserves your own integrity and your reputation. You also have an obligation to your organization or employer. Many large agencies have their own code of ethics and some even require ethical training every year. You also have an obligation to your clients. You want to honor the contract and work on your client's behalf, that requires ethical principles. Lastly and probably most importantly, there's an obligation to the public relations profession. In order for the profession to change its reputation, it must change the word of mouth. We have to practice total honesty, being honest cultivates credibility and authenticity. These are key in building relationships, with social media and consumer engagement the truth will always get out. Why not control the narrative? Be honest and open. We've seen too many situations that went sour simply because there was no honesty. Stakeholders are relying on us, the PR practitioners to communicate with them. We must ensure that we are always honest, no matter how much it hurts. As we use the media to tell our brand story, journalists require that we be honest, otherwise damaging their own reputation and that of their employer. The ripple effects of dishonesty are deep. This is the PRSA Code of Ethics. The free flow of information recognizes that public relation supports journalism and truthful information is essential to serving the public and contributing to an informed democratic society. The code of ethics includes competition, which promotes fair competition amongst professionals and preserves an ethical climate while also fostering a robust business environment. Safeguarding confidences requires appropriate protection of confidential and private information. You must be confidential, especially where it can hurt business. Disclosure of information fosters informed decision-making again, emphasizing honesty. The PRSA Code of Ethics also includes conflicts of interest. This as a practitioners avoid real potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This just builds the trust of clients, employers, and publics. Lastly, enhancing the profession. This mimics the idea that you have a broader obligation to act ethically. This is the Arthur J. Page Society ethics, similar to PRSA but different. First, tell the truth. We want to let the public know what's happening with honest and good intention. We should provide an ethically accurate picture of the enterprise's character, values, ideals and actions. Prove it with action, public perception of an enterprise is determined 90 percent by what it does and 10 percent by what it says. It's important to walk the walk not only talk the talk. Listen to stakeholders to serve the enterprise well, we must understand what the public wants and needs and advocate for our engagement with all stakeholders. Manage for tomorrow, we should anticipate public relations and eliminate practices that create difficulties. We want to generate goodwill. Conduct PR as if the whole enterprise depends on it. No strategies should be implemented without considering its impact on stakeholders. Remain calm, patient, and good-humoured. Lay the groundwork for public relations successes with consistent and reasoned attention to information and to stakeholders. The field of public relations is only as good as its practitioners. Every day in practice is an opportunity to strengthen the profession.
