Strategic Communicators Have To Be Ethical Too

Gabrielle Albright
ga210814@ohio.edu

Photo retrieved from

https://osu.pb.unizin.org/stratcommwriting/chapter/what-is-strategic/

Out of the two sides of journalism; news and information and strategic communication, people tend to think that the news and information professionals are the only one’s that can be trusted out of the pair. Why is this? Both professions fall under the more broad umbrella of communication. Any good communicator will have the education behind them informing them to always find and report the truth. Additionally, both communicators follow strict ethical guidelines such as PRSSA and SPJ. So, what is the difference?

News and Information Vs. Strategic Communication: What’s the Difference?

Unlike the news journalists, strategic communicators have the ability to focus on their one company or industry. This means that they have the ability to know the entirety of the ins and outs of this business. With access to all of the people in control, and occasionally having influence over these people, strategic communicators are always informed and aware of anything newsworthy happening in their domain.

How News and Information and Strategic Communicators can Collaborate

Often, when an industry does have newsworthy information, a strategic communicator will inform the news journalist. This step is important for two reasons:

To inform the news journalist and therefore, the public

To ensure that there is no miscommunication as to what the news is along with all of the specifics

As anyone knows, it is extremely easy for information to be strewed, stretched, or misunderstood. The job of the strategic communicator is gather the information, check to make sure that it is accurate and reliable, and to clearly relay it to the public (whether that is through their own publication or through another news publication). Although, there is a stigma amongst the journalism community that strategic communicators can relay false information.

How Strategic Communicators Ensure That They are Ethical Communicators

First and foremost, it is important for the public to realize that strategic communicators are not simply a marketing tool for organizations. Their main mission is to establish and maintain an effective flow of communication within the establishment and outside (between the company and the public).

Additionally, maintaining integrity for a strategic communicator as an ethical and accurate portrayal of the truth is just as important as for news and information. An article on Bulldog Reporter

examined a study behind the ethics of actual PR professionals and the ethical trials they faced. This study reported that, “A few (of the PR study participants) were fired or demoted for refusing to do something that was blatantly unethical; two resigned when their advice was rejected, including one who refused to include false information in a press release.”

A specific quote from one of the professionals was, "I can’t afford to lose my credibility … As PR professionals, it’s all we have. And if I lose my credibility here, it’s not like I can just go start over with someone else, somewhere else."

Ultimately, the largest issue that blockades communication of the truth is unethical and untrustworthy of the corporate leaders of the business. Furthermore, it is in the hands of the strategic communicator (as any other journalist) to be truthful and transparent with their information. If being ethical does not satisfy the company then the journalist should leave the company.

In a time where information is scrutinized over more than ever, the untruthful corporation will eventually be exposed, and the ethical journalist who left the company prior will be unscathed.