Building a future of ethical PR practices

Emily Walsh 

ew845717@ohio.edu

 

In researching ethics in the field of Public Relations, I have found that it is a common notion that ethical public relations is an oxymoron. It is often believed that ethics is left for the news and reporting world, and the public relations world functions and thrives on bending the truth and covering for their stakeholders. However, this is a misconception that needs to be changed. Although in the past the field has been unethical, this is not a standard that should be acceptable today. 

According to Axia Public Relations, the three golden rules of PR ethics are be honest, respect confidentiality, and be competent. Seems pretty straight forward, right? Well, these golden rules are, at times, easier said than followed. PRSA points out specific factors that create challenges for public relations professionals to act ethically. These include: pressures by management to meet unrealistic goals, expectations to always beat their competition, and a fear that they will lose their job or fall short of internal competition. 

According to the Institute for Public Relations, in the early years of the modern public relations industry, ethics in the field was of no concern. The industry's focus was to get results, regardless of what the process to those results entailed. Today, the ethics of the public relation field is primarily shaped by membership in professional associations that have codes of ethics. However, membership in these associations is not required and compliance with these ethics codes are not followed and monitored the best they could be. 

So as future public relations professionals, we must ask ourselves, "What do we need to do to create a culture of ethical practices in the public relations field?" Assuming we will be entering the work force at entry level positions, we must not be afraid say no. 

  Picture source:  https://www.commpro.biz/our-future-in-public-relations/

According to Bulldog Reporter, it is important how we bring our ethical concerns and information to our bosses. If we as young professionals do our homework, and are prepared to defend our inclinations that certain actions are not right, we can slowly, but surely start to change the culture of the field. That entails that we are brave enough to hold our management accountable and, yes, sometimes say no. 

So then what? Once our generation of public relations professionals are higher up in our companies, it is our responsibility to implement new practices that encourage ethical practices. PRSA suggests places to start and can include, but aren't limited to: creating a safe way to report unethical practices, hiring a third party to monitor ethics, and developing clear and valued ethical codes.

I Can't Answer That

Cassidy Wilson 

cassidyleighhh@gmail.com 

 

Seeking relevance is key in the world of reporting and public relations. The entirety of our jobs as journalists and public relations experts is to provide information to the public. 

Luckily, there is a code of ethics to follow in both professions that helps us decipher right from wrong when there is a challenge at hand. However, what happens when you are put in a difficult situation regarding confidential information? 

The article, PRSA Chief Blasts Hope Hicks' Self-Confessed 'White Lies' is an example of a tough situation in PR where a professional went wrong and was called out for their actions. 

Hope Hicks, the White House communications director was working for President Trump and was caught covering up information and lying to the media. 

When other PR experts found out about her wrongdoing they were appalled and said her activities were an obstruction of justice. 

At the end of the article PRSA chairman Anthony D'Angelo said that every PR professional should reference the Code of Ethics. 

When dealing with the privacy of others and handling a difficult situation, D'Angelo believes it is professionally acceptable to say, "I can't answer that, and here's the reason why." 

I found it very interesting that instead of trying to put out some type of story or release information, it is professional to simply say you cannot answer something. 

It makes sense in the long run because you are being ethical and cannot get blasted for your wrongdoings like Hicks did. 

I suppose I would rather not have information on something than be caught lying. As stated in the PRSA Code of Ethics, "The level of public trust PRSA members seek, as we serve the public good, means we have taken on a special obligation to operate ethically." 

Source: https://agraham6.wordpress.com/author/agraham6/

 

The field of PR seems like it could be challenging for many reasons. You are essentially trying to maintain a positive reputation of a well-known company/person despite the challenges you face. 

News and information journalism is also a challenging career path, but I am glad it is the route I chose because after reading various articles on PR, the roles are very different. 

In PR you are specifically targeting an audience whereas in journalism you are publishing the news in interest of the public. 

One similarity between the two is that they both have a code of ethics in order to carry out ethical responsibilities. 

Ethics in Public Relations

Emma Stefanick

es421018@ohio.edu

It's no secret that when people think of public relations, the first things that tend to come to mind are manipulation, deception and lies. And the public relations industry gets a lot of flack for it too. Every slip up, mistake and cut corner in the business is scrutinized under the public's eye and just about every person out there, believes it is the job of public relations professionals to sell their product, service or client to whatever ends. While most industry professionals don't actually fall into this category, just the mere existence of this belief shows a need for strong, universal ethics in public relations now more than ever. 

To become unethical in the public relations industry is to lose all credibility, and lose credibility is the end of an individual career, and potentially the organization by association. This means that there is no wiggle room when it comes to being transparent. The job of a public relations professional is not to misinform or twist truths, but rather to make the facts of a product or service appealing. If you have something to hide, then you're doing it wrong. 

 

 

Picture source:

https://aryaprblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/04/ethics-in-public-relations/

 

So if transparency is the utmost important aspect of any media relations industry, how do we get there? Transparency encompasses many things, such as telling the full truth, disclosing processes and background information, avoiding deceptive practices, disclosing conflicts of interest and honesty, among many others. To reach full transparency, you have to incorporate universal ethics throughout the workplace. According to PRSA, this means that corporate management must hold people accountable and create an ethical workspace. 

PRSA suggests strong enforcement of ethical standards, encouraging an anonymous whistleblower line, having an outside firm evaluate ethical practices and promoting ethics online. Some other factors that, when eliminated yield better ethics are, pressure to reach unrealistic targets, consistent demands to beat competition, fear of job loss and overlooking small breaches of policy. By just implementing a thorough and consistent ethics training program within the organization, all of these problems can be addressed and rectified. It is often the lack of awareness of ethical issues that creates the most problems within a company. 

Since there is no universal standard for public relations ethics, it is easy to assume that this profession is nothing but a mumble jumbled mess of propaganda meant to progress our own agendas. But public relations on its own is not unethical. This industry holds power and works behind the scenes to influence, change and challenge societal norms. With power comes responsibility and if we don't start implementing ethics programs in our organizations, completing regular training and following a clear-cut disciplinary action plan, then how are we going to handle the responsibility of public opinion? News flash! We can't handle it. That path only leads to abuse of power and, consequently unethical behavior across the board. Unethical behavior starts from the top down, but so does change. 

COVID-19: Relevant News Reporting

Bridget Ward 

bw085717@ohio.edu

 

News is one of the most important outlets in the world; keeping us informed about all of the things happening in the world that we live in, we are intrigued to find out what is happening to our neighbors, our country and our world on a daily basis. News keeps the world spinning; if we did not have news stories, the general public would not only be bored to death, but they would also be uncultured and uneducated about the world that they live in, as well as feeling confused and disconnected from other parts of the world. Local, national and international news stories keep the world entertained because it also reminds us that there are worldly things happening that are of importance, which is especially integral in a time like this. While we are living through a pandemic that is going to be taught as a history lesson when this twenty first century generation has become grandparents, so news is one of the most important outlets right now. 

There is news happening all day, everyday, everywhere, and any kind of news, no matter what scale, is bound to be covered by most to every company, brand and PR practitioner that wants to be apart of this story. Brands and all kinds of companies are all constantly seeking relevance and are all trying to be at the forefront of the story, as are all journalists and reporters. What is the point of your story if it is not relevant? People want to read and absorb the news that is important, relevant, and timely. They want to read the news that is important to them and important to the time era. If you are writing a news story that has no relevance to the most important news story of the time/place, then there is no point in writing it because it will not get nearly enough attention or recognition in comparison to a more important story that is simultaneously happening. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything anyone has ever seen before and is throwing a lot of news companies out of line because they are supposed to be reporting about a global issue that is currently happening, which is a difficult thing to do in fullness and correctness. Nobody knows when this is going to end, making it even harder to report about. When things like this happen, news reporters have to find the most important, most relevant information to report about to the public. They also have to do it in a quick and efficient manner in order for the viewers to receive their news and respect the news companies work. While it is most important to report about the safety of the world, it is also just as important to report the most pressing issues that the world is facing through this time period, regardless of if it scares viewers or not. 

While reporting about an issue this large and this pressing, it is important to be as helpful and unbiased in your report as possible. The general public is just as confused about this issue as the rest of the world, but they are relying on the news companies to report the correct information to them during this time. News companies are some of the most important outlets at the moment because of this issue. News companies need to effectively communicate their message through their news report. Relevance is the number one most important key aspect to informed ad ethical reporting. Being relevant and on topic makes the news story that much easier to read and understand, making the general public much more satisfied. 

There are many things wrong with the world today, which makes it that much more important for news companies to be on topic and on task with everything they write and report about. Relevance is one of the most important factors of today's issues in news and should be the one thing that all reporters master before reporting a full news story. 

Practicing Advertising and Public Relations Ethics on Social Media

Sarah Volk 

sv673116@ohio.edu

 

With the rise in social media and online media content, the ethics practices in public relations have changed drastically.

While journalists adhere to several codes of ethics, the codes public relations and advertising professionals should follow aren't as clear-cut as journalism ethics codes. 

Many public relations and advertising employers look for strong ethical reasoning skills in their employees, and many struggle to find candidates that meet their expectations. This is, in part, due to the fact that ethics training is rarely required of employees in public relations and advertising professions.

The need for ethical guidelines in public relations and advertising is at an all-time high with the surge in digital and social media.

This explosion of internet and social media use within the last 15-20 years has been a complete game changer in the fields of advertising and public relations. It has had an enormous positive impact on companies within the two fields, but with new opportunity comes new risks.

The rapidly changing digital environment has taken a toll on the practices of advertising and public relations. Ethical practices on social and digital media have become wildly more important.

Picture source: The Goss Agency

Public relations and advertising professionals must be open, honest and transparent in the same way that journalists must be. Establishing trust with consumers is essential to digital advertising and PR.

There must be a recognizable line between advertising and content. Social media users must be able to distinguish between the two without having to take a closer look.

In addition to establishing a clear distinction between ads and content, user/data privacy on social media is also a major concern.

For social media sites such as TikTok, there have been concerns about data privacy. With TikTok's algorithm, it is easy for advertisers to reach their target audience; however, there is a very fine line between TikTok marketing and user content that often gets blurred on users' "For You Page."

In an article by Kaya Ismail titled "Why Should the Potential TikTok Ban Matter to Marketers?" he states, "While data collection can help consumers, the use of personal data can be classified as an infringement on consumer privacy, which calls for much more responsible management of user data."

There are many ways advertising and public relations professionals can practice ethics on social media. One of the major things these professions should avoid is raising any privacy concerns. 

In an article by David van der Ende on Social Media Explorer, he states, "Privacy is very important for social media users, and marketers should never lash out at users, fans or consumers on their social media accounts. If your company leaks any personal information, this can lead to a tarnished reputation or backlash that can ruin a business."

In the advertising and public relations professions, practicing good ethical reasoning is essential to the current, ever-changing digital landscape. Transparency is essential to social media advertising and public relations.

Trust in PR During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Max Semenczuk

ms498517@ohio.edu

 

When the terms 'truth' and 'ethics' occur in conversation about journalism and the media, its application is usually only implied to be important in hard news and traditional reporting. This is as far from the truth as the reality is, however.

 

Truth and transparency is highly important to public relations and the well-being of all companies, agencies, governments, etc., as the public knowing the truth behind a companies mishaps is what truly creates a positive relationship between the public and the company or organization in question.

 

When or if a company is to mess up, the reason a public relations firm is in place is to do damage control and relieve any tensions between the company and the public. Doing so is not done by lying or being deceitful, but instead by being transparent and honest. People dislike being lied to and often just want an apology from a company if something were to go awry.

 

Picture source: University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

 

During the times of the COVID-19 Pandemic, public relations has seemed to take a new role. During a time of mass layoffs and mass unemployment, as well as fears of entering a recession, many are upset at both the government and those that participate in its economy, the businesses. On top of this, many are quarreling in the United States over the importance of COVID-19 guidelines as defined by the CDC. More so, the business applications of instilling these precautions has led to many Americans to become upset. 

 

During this time, public relations as a whole has hap to adapt and take a new role of spreading true information regarding the virus and to ensure that as many people will continue to be safe as possible. To make sure this is the case, they must defend businesses' decisions to enforce the rules that come with a pandemic, that being social distancing, mask wearing, etc.

 

There is still a lot of uncharted territory for PR agencies to navigate during this time, as it has only been a reality for 6 months, but their new role as helping public health must not go unnoticed. There must be truth in the statistics PR agencies choose to highlight, as well as truth within where they get information regarding COVID-19. Thankfully during this time, interests have been in the good of the public from those in PR, and as the pandemic goes on, we can hope that this is a trend that will continue.

How PR Professionals Can Contribute to Ethical Action

Emma Skidmore

es320518@ohio.edu

 

It's fairly common knowledge that there are multitudes of unethical situations one can find themselves in when working in media. With current trust in the media being so low, it's crucial to act ethically. Most media professionals are well-trained in how to use their best judgement in sensitive situations, and there is a lot of overlap between PR and news. With scandals like White House communications director Hope Hicks admitting to "white lies," PR professionals can suffer a reputation tarnished by the few "bad apples," so to speak, in the group.

PRSA Ethics Codes

Ethics codes are incredibly valuable to both PR professionals and journalists alike. Naturally, there is a lot of overlap including the values of independence, fairness and honesty. The PRSA website states, "We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public." However unlike news and information journalists, PR professionals have to consider how their actions will affect both their client and the public. According to the PRSA code of ethics, PR professionals must be faithful to the companies and people they represent, while simultaneously serving an obligation to the public. There is also overlap between news and PR in cases like conflicts of interest, where all parties need to be aware of what the conflict is and how to avoid it. In both instances of news and PR, the employee must act in the best interest of their client or employer and avoid serving their self-interests.

What can lead to unethical behavior?

Leadership can play a large role in how people can act. Intense pressure from leaders can cause people to act unethically in an effort to beat competition, reach unrealistic goals or secure their job. It is also important for PR professional to feel they can disagree with their employer if they see something is being done wrong. A stressful environment could lead people to act in unethical ways and place their own interests above anything else. This is harmful to everyone involved and can have serious repercussions for your publication

Photo credit: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/world-whistleblower-day-2019-is-this-a-landmark-year-for-whistleblower-prot

 

How can PR professionals act ethically?

Seth Arenstein wrote for PR News that creating trust between the public and PR professionals means playing the long game. It requires trusted relationships formed over time. Distrust in the media includes PR agencies, and acting ethically will help build that trust with the public. PR agencies can avoid acting unethically by creating an environment where it's okay to speak up if there is something wrong going on. PR professionals must be educated on how to act ethically and be aware of the consequences should the break rules. The guidelines for acting ethically should be clear and well-promoted, and everyone in the media sphere should work together to treat sensitive issues ethically. Whether it's PR or news, every journalist and professional has a responsibility to be upheld to the highest standards of ethics possible.