Public Relations and Media: Different Concepts, Same Standards

Meladi Brewer
meladibrewer99@gmail.com

Advertisers and public relations professionals follow precise guideline codes that prove to cross over into the news and information field. Both have a duty and obligation to the consumer or audience to report accurate and honest information or advertisements from precisely conducted research that allow the viewer to have free will to make their own informed decisions. 

The codes guiding advertising and public relation professionals provide the framework for ethical products that maintain accountability, provides professionally developed research and education while adhering to the highest standard of accuracy, and integrity within the relationships. 

The guidelines and codes followed proven important in maintaining relationships with consumers. PRSA, and the Institute for Advertising Ethics believe it is important to maintain accountability within all aspects of the process to obtain finished products.  

The systems they use prove helpful in terms of maintaining ethics; however, the companies are run by humans. Errors and flaws are able to appear on a whim. All companies are aware of the possibility of mistakes within the business but enforce accountability and responsibility in order to maintain ethical work. 

Jeff Levick google image

Jeff Levick, President, Global Advertising and Strategy, AOL, talked about how important it is for companies to be acknowledged when it comes to ethics within the Institute for Principles and Practices for Advertising Ethics.  

"It's critical for the industry to acknowledge and accept the advertising is commercial information that must be treated with the same accuracy and ethics as editorial information," Levick stated. 

Levick is able to make comparisons between hard news and public relations as they all work for society and need to be held to the same standards despite working in different contexts.

Much like hard news, advertising is important to consumers and the economy. Honesty is extremely important in all professions. However, consumers hold public relations and advertising to high standards because of a lack of trust with investment and perception. 

The consumer wants to ensure all ethics are followed and the product is the real deal. Therefore, even if the companies do not enforce the code of ethics, consumers keep employees accountable and honest. 

The Journalist's Creed, written by Missouri School of Journalism, Walter Williams, was a document stating how both journalists and public relations representatives share the same responsibility to serve the public. The creed is a document that proves why the codes of ethics are followed despite not being enforced. 

The society provides a grounded rule over the codes and ensures a high standard of ethics is being followed at all times. When the rules are broken, consumers drop in numbers and ensure limited endorsement to the unethical, untrusted companies.