PRSA Code of Ethics: The Bigger Picture

Hannah May

HMay2011@aol.com

Ethics -- a word that can be translated, interpreted, and acted out differently by all organizations and companies, small or large. It is the civil duty of each business to create their own personal code of ethics that members must carry out on a day-to-day basis. Following a code of ethics in the workforce is one of the first steps to ensure that a business runs successfully and smoothly. The Public Relations Society of America has created their code of ethics that they commit to in order to obtain maximum trust from the public. 

After reading and analyzing the PRSA Code of Ethics, it becomes clear the key beliefs of PRSA.

Gaining trust is the key to success.

As a person in public relations, your main contender is, as the position states, the public. If you do not have the public's trust your service announcements or press releases stand for nothing. What you have worked so hard to construct will go in one ear and out the other. As a PR professional you never want to put yourself in a position that could jeopardize building trust between clients, the employer and the public. The work created must be consistent in strengthening the public’s trust in you and your company. 

Personal actions reflect the whole society.

PRSA believes that as a member of this society, you must commit to ethical practices in order to uphold the reputation of the society as a whole and on a personal level as well.  It is stated in the preamble that, “each of us sets an example for each other.” I believe this statement to be unquestionably true. One simple wrong action from a member of the society could be poorly reflected back onto other members of the society. PRSA believes that they must all uphold a powerful standard of performance, professionalism and ethical conduct to avoid possibly negative accusations and assumptions of other members.

PRSA takes their Code of Ethics seriously, no laughter here. 

Failure to uphold the standards of performance, professionalism and ethical conduct that PRSA administers, results in execution from the society. Your membership will be revoked, and you can no longer associate yourself with PRSA. Simple as that.

Not only should PRSA uphold a high standard of values and ethics, the whole public relations profession should.

One of the most powerful things the public can take away from the PRSA Code of Ethics falls under the PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values. Not only is PRSA stating that their society will personal follow the values listed, but they believe that their Member Code of Ethics sets a standard and guide for the whole public relations profession. They state that their Member Code of Ethics “sets the industry standard for the professional practice of public relations,” and that they believe their “professional values are vital to the integrity of the profession as a whole.” By making that statement PRSA is setting a very high bar for the rest of the public relations world -- a bar that I hope all can meet.

Communication must always be organic, and private when need be.

The information that the public receives needs to always be truthful, that is a given. The content of the public announcement may never be tampered with or persuaded by higher officials. When coming to a crossroads of what information to relay, PRSA states numerous times to, “be honest and accurate in all communications.” The truth may hurt, but sometimes that sting is necessary. On the contrary, it is important for public relations professionals to understand when it is most important to not relay information to the public. PR professionals need to be aware when the client, organization or individual has a right to privacy that triumphs the ability to reveal all information to the public.

PRSA goes above and beyond when creating their Member Code of Ethics. Instead of focusing on their own society, worrying about themselves and not minding what any other public relations firms are doing, the society public declares the importance that the profession as a whole maintain the standards that they are providing. I know personally that down the road in my public relations future, I will be taking a look back at PRSA’s Code of Ethics and making sure I am able to uphold the bar they have set for me as a professional in the field of public relations.