Remaining Ethical in the Time of Impeachment

Kailee Missler | km199116@ohio.edu

Journalists and public relations professionals engage in the political atmosphere either directly or indirectly simply by being in the field they are, whether that be reporting on it, reading about it, or representing someone or something involved in it. It is no secret that Donald Trump being elected president has made professionals in the communication field evaluate their ethics on how to report on such a volatile president and what they can learn from the unprofessionalism in the Trump administration. It is not every day a country's administration berates journalists during interviews and press conferences, but that is the reality of the United States.

A clear stance has been made in the White House that the American press is seen as an enemy, despite the First Amendment. President Trump himself has declared the press "the enemy of the American people" numerous times and the Republican party has followed suit by actively using phrases like the "crooked media." That is a challenge in itself for communication professionals, as it damages the integrity and trusts the media has worked to build, but also, journalists must be mindful of how to report the president's Twitter rampages because it can reinforce harmful stereotypes.

The impeachment hearings that are currently going on only adds to this distrust of the media. Republicans are adamant that the impeachment is being pushed by the mainstream media in partnership with the Democrats. Media professionals know this is not the case, however, one poll shows that 53 percent of Americans believe that to be so.

Unfortunately, journalists cannot keep individuals, or the president, from blatant lies about deception in the media. However, they can continue following ethical codes by remaining. There has always been a clash between power and the media, but with the rise of social media, it's easier for the idea of the "rigged" and "crooked" media to be spread.

The impeachment proceedings are historical. It has only been utilized now three times since the founding of the United States and journalists have played a large role in all of them. There have always been criticisms of the news outlets, but this time around, it feels like it is an all-out war on information. This makes the roles of journalists and the codes of ethics even more important because if journalists follow the codes, they know that they are doing their jobs exactly how it should be done.

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Public relation professionals' integrity has not been attacked as much, however, there have been clear examples of White House officials, like Kellyanne Conway, operating in bounds that other PR specialists could have consequences, such as calling lies "alternative facts." This comes more from a place of privilege, like working for the President of the United States rather than some company. It is also a personal choice Conway is making by continuing to operate in a manner outside of the PRSA Code of Ethics.

It is a reminder for all PR professionals that their reputation is everything in the field and working without a personal ethical code can lead to an unsuccessful career.

This is not the first-time journalists and PR professionals have had to evaluate the best course of action to do their jobs effectively, nor will it be the last, but it's important to analyze the state of current events to see how it can be approved.