What does it mean to be an ethical advertiser?

 John Steitz

js810618@ohio.edu

Source: OffTheMark.com

    When it comes to doing the right thing, journalists, as well as advertising and public relations professionals closely, follow codes of ethics to ensure that their work is being done as responsibly as possible. Journalists follow the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics, while advertising and public relations professionals abide by the Public Relations Society of America's code of ethics. While these two professions have their differences, both advocate for the public good and provide a valuable service to the public. Yes, really.

    The core values of both the Society of Professional Journalists and the Public Relations Society of America’s codes of ethics are extremely similar. Journalists and public relations professionals both serve the public first and foremost. A journalist may serve the public by providing information and taking a watchdog role in regard to government and economic activity in pursuit of the truth. A journalist is virtually a public employee- (or at least an employee whose work’s purpose is to benefit the public)- it makes logical sense for a journalist to serve the public above all else, no questions about it.

    Because of the nature of our work, public relations professionals must balance serving the public and those whom they represent. In class, we questioned if it was antithetical for advertising and public relations professionals to balance serving both the public and one’s employers and whom they represent. When considering the meaning of the words, “ethical advertising” might sound like an oxymoron at first. How does one serve the public while simultaneously attempting to project a stainless brand image that may embellish the truth?

    

    The main way that public relations professionals can serve the public interest is with their wealth of professional knowledge regarding the ethical and legal boundaries of advertising and public relations. By ensuring that our work is ethical, we can contribute a voice to discussions and inform audiences in a way that mutually benefits the public interest and those whom we represent. 

    As a representative of a product, brand, or group, it’s the ethical responsibility of public relations professionals to ensure that the image projection of our advertising and public relations work is truthful, transparent, and serves the general public to help them make an informed decision. It doesn’t matter whom one works for, or what form of media they produce. The primary responsibility of professional communicators, whether it be a journalist working for a newspaper or a copywriter working on a slogan, is to serve the public above all else- and to do so in a way that abides by the codes of ethics that have been adopted by our respective professional fields. 

    Advertising and public relations professionals don’t get the privilege of working directly for the public good. We also don’t get to work as de facto public employees. Instead, we must strive to balance the interests of our representatives with the public’s interests. In our own way, we still get to inform the public and provide a valuable service- one might even point out that advertising and public relations professionals get to act as their own sort of “watchdog”, albeit one working within the beast which it polices instead. All of this is to say that advertising and public relations professionals aren’t working for the public- they’re advocating for it. By abiding by the professional codes of ethics that guide our field, we as public relations professionals can advocate for the public interest.