Maintaining Objectivity

Jacob Sherer
js413114@ohio.edu

Now more than ever it is crucial for media professionals to maintain objectivity throughout the communication process. Trust between the public and the media is plummeting and with it comes the increasing need to remain unbiased. Even the slightest shred of a conflict of interest can tarnish the reputation of an otherwise credible organization.

This stems from integrity. Integrity regards having a strong set of moral principles and involves consistency, honesty and accuracy in the work of most, if not all, communication professionals.

A core principle for the Public Relations Society of America is that "avoiding real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest builds the trust of clients, employers and the publics." The organization's code of ethics also lists guidelines for members to remain unbiased and offers examples of potential breaches to the code.

The definition of a conflict of interest can vary depending on an organization's ethical code and will often cross professions. In 2015, a newscaster and executive editor for Global Television came under fire for ethical violations regarding his involvement as both a reporter and the creative director of Buzz PR, an agency based in Toronto that describes itself as the best agency in the city. The reporter's two biggest infractions consist of tweeting positive comments about some of the firm's clients and even going as far as featuring the clients on his show.

A blog posted by former Southeast Missouri State University student, Andrea Gils, breaks down steps in identifying potential ethical violations:

To begin she advises analyzing a situation from the most objective angle and thinking of the consequences all parties could potentially faced after making a decision. Avoiding emotional connections is the easiest ways eliminate personal indiscretions.

If presented with a potential conflict of interest, Andrea then encourages discussing the situation with someone and being transparent to your client regarding the infraction. This coincides with PRSA's guideline in its code of ethics detailing that members will "disclose promptly to any existing or potential conflict of interest to affected clients or organizations."

While it's easy to be able to recognize potential professional conflicts of interest, the bigger hurdle comes from one's personal code of ethics in disclosing information before it becomes a problem.

For communication professionals maintaining objectivity can easily be boiled down two simple factors: transparency and honesty.