Keeping Public Relations in the Public's Trust

The goal of any PR firm is to reach a mass audience. But you can't do it if the masses don't trust you.

by Noah Wolf | nw597116 (at) ohio (dot) edu

Public relations are a longstanding force in the American media landscape, as they always have been and almost certainly always will be. But the tactics PR firms are using to get their message out is changing rapidly, just as the rest of the journalism industry is. It's not just newspapers and radio anymore, in journalism. In PR, it's not just press releases anymore. This change has mostly benefited corporations and PR firms, though, as the advent of the internet and social media allows companies and PR firms to spread their message directly to the people, rather than going through news organizations like they used to have to do.

But there have always been ethical dilemmas at the root of public relations, and those questions aren't going away. In fact, they're more important than ever. The ethical line is even easier to cross nowadays for PR professionals. How can they make sure to maintain the public's trust?

Fact Checking

The number one way to earn the public's trust is by telling the truth. Should be self-explanatory, right? Sure makes a lot of sense to me. But it's not always that simple in practice. Just because PR professionals aren't held to the same vigorous journalistic standards that a traditional newspaper might be doesn't mean that they aren't responsible for the words they publish. If you want to earn or keep the public's trust, you can't lie.

This was something that the athletic department at the University of Southern California learned the hard way. They posted a story to their website told to them by star defensive back Josh Shaw without doing any sort of verification or fact checking. After the story had been picked up by multiple media outlets, it was revealed that Shaw had been lying.

In the rush to display your client (or in that case, yourself) in a positive light, some of the standards can be swept away. It's imperative that the truth is told.

Disclosure

Sponsored (but clearly labeled) posts on Instagram. Courtesy Forbes

One of the most common, yet overlooked, ways that PR has spread across the internet is by way of social media. It's not just the Twitter accounts of two burger joints roasting each other in replies. It's also the "influencer" scene. Popular accounts on various social media platforms (though most often Instagram) are known as influencers, and they have a large and loyal following. Companies and PR firms want to buy some of that influence to the following. 

But it comes with some strict ethics. If a company is paying for a celebrity or influencer to use their product and promote it on their Instagram, the Federal Trade Commission has clear guidelines for the proper disclosure of those advertisements. It has to be clear and obvious to a consumer that one is being paid for a post, if one is. Often, those guidelines aren't followed. 

In conclusion, the internet has ramped up the ways which advertisements and public relations creep into our daily lives. It's more important than ever that PR firms maintain a strict ethical code.