Conflicts of Interest in Public Relations

Billy McDermott

wm017314@ohio.edu

Conflicts of interest are inherent within competitive industries, and will never cease to exist, until in fact, humans do. Interests will clash and bottleneck as long as businesses thrive, tarnishing corporations in the eyes of current and potential customers, as well as the public. This is when public relations steps in. PR firms all have a common goal of building and preserving the reputation, credibility and image of their clientele; however, they're also susceptible to interest conflicts internally and externally. Ironically, the mediators can become the incompatible institutions they swore to protect. Here are some examples of conflicts of interest within PR firms:

• Taking on competing clients - How can an account manager work for two competing clients, while maintaining their best interests? 
• Taking on a client that isn't deemed reputable in the public eye - Should a firm support a company that is unethical, but wants "good press?" 
• Accepting inducements from clients regardless of already being paid by the firm- How wrong is it for professionals to take extra compensation based on merit? After all, he or she is increasing revenue for the firm. 
• And.... the list goes on.

As you can see, there are plenty of possible situations that can cause conflicting interests in PR. They'll most likely evolve into debilitating ethical dilemmas, which is why firms have methods to mitigate, or prevent them entirely. Some of them include disclosure, recusal and implementing a code of ethics. Firms might require employees to disclose any information that proves a conflict of interest is occurring, while failing to do so can be considered criminal. Recusal is also used to deal with similar situations in the sense that professionals are required to recuse themselves before a conflict of interest can manifest, or perhaps permanently step down if one is ongoing. Ethics codes are obviously used frequently because they serve as confirmation that conflicting obligations, professionally and personal, are strictly forbidden. 

A core principle of the Public Relations Society of America is "avoiding real, potential or perceived conflicts of interests builds the trust of clients, employers and the public" (PRSA, 2000). This is a building block intended to earn trust from clients, so that those clients can earn trust from the public (their customers). By adhering to rules and ethics, PR firms can be more efficient in achieving their clients' best interests, even if it includes the "subordination" of personal interests ("Common Ethical Issues in Public Relations," 2013).

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