ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
"The
practice of public relations can present unique and challenging ethical issues.
At the same time, protecting integrity and the public trust are fundamental to
the profession’s role and reputation. Bottom line, successful public relations
hinges on the ethics of its practitioners."
- PRSA
Code of Professional Standards
PR
is committed to serving organizations or individual that hire PR pros to build
and manage their relationships with other organizations and publics. The primary
responsibility of PR pros is to serve their employer/client. Most
of the PR pros are highly ethical. However, they are sometimes accused of being
unethical by people who don't understand PR and who erroneously use the
professional standards of other fields to judge PR activities.
Other
than the Golden Rule – “Do unto others”
i.e. “As you would have them do unto you. Treat other people with the concern and
kindness you would like them to show toward you”. There is no universal
standard for professional ethics. As each profession developed it created its
own standards and expectations for practitioners based on the unique knowledge,
values, challenges, and practices of that profession. In time, norms of
acceptable and unacceptable behavior emerged and were formalized into codes of
ethics that impose peer pressure on those working in that field. Practitioners
who follow the code of their profession and act ethically are honored and
respected. Those who don't may be sanctioned, criticized or scorned. In extreme
cases, those who violate the ethics of their profession can be forced out of
the profession. The same is true for public relations. It is, after all, a
well-established field of professional endeavor and has professional
organizations such as PRSA, IPRA, PRSI, IABC and GAPR&CM.
PRSA, The Public Relations Society of America was founded in 1947 by combining the American Council on
Public Relations and the National Association of Public Relations Councils. The Public Relations Society of America's Code of
Professional Standards presents the core values of PRSA members and,
more broadly, of the public relations profession. It clearly shows that
advocacy for clients/employers is the primary purpose of public relations, and
the advocacy should be done responsibly and in accordance with the public
interest.
Here
are the first two of six statements of professional values included in the PRSA
Code:
·
ADVOCACY:
We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we
represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and
viewpoints to aid informed public debate.
· HONESTY:
We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the
interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public."
IPRA, The International Public Relations Association, was established in 1955, and is the leading global network
for PR professionals in their personal capacity. IPRA aims to advance trusted
communication and the ethical practice of public relations through networking,
its code of conduct and intellectual leadership of the profession. IPRA
Council, at its meeting in Athens held in 1965, had adopted International Code
of Ethics (ICE) which constitutes IPRA’s moral charter. ICE is inspired by the UN
Declaration of Human Rights and is also referred as the Code of Athens.
ICE or Code of Athens
Considering that all member countries of the United
Nations Organizations have agreed to abide by its Charter which reaffirms “its
faith in fundamental human rights in the dignity and worth of the human person”
and having regard to the very nature of their profession, Public Relations
practitioners in these countries should undertake to ascertain and observe the
principles set out in the charter.
Considering that, apart from “rights”, human beings
have not only physical or material needs but also intellectual, moral and
social needs and that their rights are of real benefits to them only in so far
as needs are essentially met.
Considering that, in the course of their professional
duties and depending on how these duties are performed, Public Relations
practitioners can substantially help to meet these intellectual, moral and
social needs.
And lastly,
Considering that the use of techniques enabling them
to come simultaneously into contact with millions of people gives PR
practitioners a power that has to be restrained by observance of strict moral
code.
PRSI,
The Public Relations Society of India which was established in 1958, also accepted the Code
of Athens (ICE) in year 1968 as its moral charter. thus if, in the light of evidence
submitted to the Council of PRSI, any member of PRSI has been found to have
infringed the Code of Ethics in the course of his/her professional duties,
he/she will be deemed to be guilty of serious misconduct calling for an
appropriate penalty.
Code of Ethics adopted by PRSI is as under:-
Each
Member of PRSI;
Shall
Endeavour;
1. To contribute to the achievements of the moral and
cultural conditions enabling human beings to reach their full stature and enjoy
the indefeasible rights to which they are entitled under the “Universal
Declaration of Human Rights”.
2. To establish communication patterns and channels
which, by fostering the free flow of essential information, will make each
member of the group feel that he is being kept informed and also give him
awareness of his own personal involvement and responsibility and of his solidarity
with other members.
3. To conduct himself always and in all circumstances
in such a manner as to deserve and secure the confidence of those with whom he
comes into contact.
4. To bear in mind that because of the relationship
between his profession and the public, conduct even in private-will have an
impact on the way in which the profession as a whole appraised.
Shall
undertake;
5. To observe, in the course of his professional
duties, the moral principles and rules of the “Universal Declaration of Human
Rights”.
6. To pay due regard to and uphold human dignity and
to recognise the right of each individual to judge for himself.
7. To establish the moral, psychological and
intellectual conditions for dialogue in its true sense and to recognise the
right of the parties involved to state their case and express their views.
8. To act, in all circumstances in such a manner as to
take account of respective interests of the parties involved: both the
interests of the organization which he serves and the interests of the publics
concerned.
9. To carry out his undertakings and commitments which
shall always be so worded as to avoid any misunderstanding and to show loyalty
and integrity in all circumstances so as to keep the confidence of his clients
or employees, past or present and of all the publics that are affected by his
actions.
Shall
refrain from;
10. Subordinating the truth to other requirements.
11. Circulating information which is not based on
established and ascertainable facts.
12. Taking part in any venture or undertaking which is
unethical or dishonest or capable of impairing human dignity and integrity.
13. Using any “manipulative” methods or techniques
designed to create subconscious motivations which the individual cannot control
of his own free will and so cannot be held accountable for the action taken on
them.
IABC, The International Association
of Business Communicators
founded in 1970 in USA is a global network of communicators’ professionals. The
IABC Code is not limited solely to public relations practitioners but is meant
to extend beyond public relations and include the many other types of communication
specialists who are its members. This includes communicators who deal with
employee publications, marketing, advertising, training, and dozens of other
communication functions.
Here
are the first and fourth of the 12 articles in the IABC Code:
·
Professional
communicators uphold the credibility and dignity of their profession by
practicing honest, candid and timely communication and by fostering the free
flow of essential information in accord with the public interest.
·
Professional
communicators are sensitive to cultural values and beliefs and engage in fair
and balanced communication activities that foster and encourage mutual
understanding.
GAPR&CM, GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT
The Alliance
is a framework for collaboration with a mission to enhance the public relations
profession and its practitioners throughout the world. The Alliance was
formally established in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on 25 October, 2000, after a
Public Relations World Congress sponsored by the Public Relations Society of
America and the International Public Relations Association. Through
cooperation, the associations and their member practitioners will be able to
strengthen the influence of the public relations industry among our
constituents around the world.
Global
Protocol on Ethics in Public Relations has been announced by the Global
Alliance to reflect the complementary nature and continuity existing between
current national association codes. It brings the common strands found in the
various national codes analyzed together into one common building block.
The Alliance is a cooperative of established
public relations associations with the mission to enhance the public relations
profession and its practitioners throughout the world. It was founded in 2000
in Chicago by 25 national and international
bodies, is incorporated under U.K.
laws as a not-for-profit entity and has a secretariat in South Africa .
In 2005, GA comprised 58 national PR associations representing 160,000
professionals around the world. It
currently serves as a vehicle for examining and developing Global standards on
Ethics; Universal accreditation options; Curriculum; and Body
of knowledge.
GAPR&CM’s “GLOBAL PROTOCOL ON
ETHICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS”:
Declaration of Principles:
A profession is distinguished by certain characteristics or
attributes, including:
- Mastery
of a particular intellectual skill through education and training
- Acceptance
of a duty to a broader society than merely to one's clients/employers;
- Objectivity;
and
- High
standards of conduct and performance.
We base our professional
principles, therefore, on the fundamental value and dignity of the individual.
We believe in and support the free exercise of human rights, especially freedom
of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the media, which are essential
to the practice of good public relations.
In serving the interest
of clients and employers, we dedicate ourselves to the goals of better
communication, understanding, and cooperation among diverse individuals,
groups, and institutions of society. We also subscribe to, and, support equal
opportunity of employment in the public relations profession and in lifelong
professional development.
We pledge:
- To conduct ourselves professionally, with
integrity, truth, accuracy, fairness, and responsibility to our clients,
our client publics, and to an informed society;
- To improve our individual competence and advance
the knowledge and proficiency of the profession through continuing education
and research and, where available, through the pursuit of professional
accreditation; and
- To adhere to the principles of the Code of
Professional Standards for the Practice of Public Relations.
In the domain of public relations ethics encompasses the
values of honesty, loyalty, openness, integrity, respect, fairness, and
accurate communication. Ethics are considered an
important factor for the success of any public relations work. PR pros must be
ethical; they have to be honest, credible and trustworthy. They should act at
all times in public interest, which also represents the interest of the
organization they work for. This view of morality is not shared by all practitioners of
public relations. Historically, the view of the general public of public
relations practitioners are related to unethical practices, untruthful and
misleading messages. Some even go to the extreme of
suggesting that ethics cannot exist in the context of public relations because
the practice itself is of manipulation, persuasion, and propaganda.
An
ethical issue can damage the reputation of an employee and company. It is a
serious problem that could escalate if it isn't caught in time. An ethical
issue could involve a bad decision or wrongdoing that affects a customer or anyone
connected to the business or PR firm. One can define an ethical issue as being
a wrong or dishonest choice that negatively affects the person, customers or
anyone connected to the firm.
Are there ethics in public relations?
The question is very relevant and should be posed because current state of affairs supports a historical trend which associates public relations with lying, bluffing, spin-doctoring and all kinds of unethical practices.
Some critics argue that public relations cannot be ethical because its practice is the art of manipulation, propaganda and persuasion by all means. This is an unfortunate belief among journalists, politicians, decision-makers, businessmen, and people from other walks of life.
The question is very relevant and should be posed because current state of affairs supports a historical trend which associates public relations with lying, bluffing, spin-doctoring and all kinds of unethical practices.
Some critics argue that public relations cannot be ethical because its practice is the art of manipulation, propaganda and persuasion by all means. This is an unfortunate belief among journalists, politicians, decision-makers, businessmen, and people from other walks of life.
Various case studies too indicate that PR is having adverse
and very significant effects on the democratic process in place today. This is because
interested parties have the opportunity to purposely confuse, mislead, and
disrupt any public debates about issues vital to the public interest. This meddling in an
obviously key democratic process can result in the reduction of society’s
ability to react effectively in issues of societal and political importance.
The PR lacks ethics because its strategic goal is
to influence public opinion through persuasive messages and lobbying that
considers only the interests of the client or the organization. According to
some, this is a threat to responsible and committed journalism and
communication. Some argue that public relations practices of today are having a
very significant negative impact on the democratic process by confusing,
deceiving and derailing public debate on key issues and focusing on the other
hand, on what clients and organisations would like to have on the agenda of the
media and public opinion. Today PR is facing an identity crisis and itself
needs some public relations to improve its image and react to the various
stereotypes and criticism it is getting.
With technology increasing the speed of
communication, along with an involved and connected public, we have to show
more diligence with the information we share. In an age of social
conversations, not taking the time to review the details of information carefully,
checking and rechecking sources, and confirming the accuracy of our
communication, will pose a tremendous challenge. As ethical communicators, what
we share should not only be authentic, but also in the best interest of all
parties involved.
Indeed, PR is based on ethics and believes in
ethics and these ethics demand personal engagement, a search for best
practices, an understanding of rational decisions to be taken and a good
understanding of the consequences. Ethics come from within and are nurtured by
life’s experiences and the standards and codes of conduct followed in our
chosen fields. Ethics in PR deal with ethical thinking. Debating the issue of
public relations ethics is exposing the dilemmas inherent in media relations,
and confronting ethical problems in organisational communication, employee and
peer communication, corporate social responsibility, lobbying, and community
relations.
Public relations ethics introduces students of PR
to codes of ethics in public relations; legal issues related to privacy,
defamation, copyright, product liability, and financial disclosure; legal and
regulatory compliance, and credibility. Public relations professionals and
other stakeholders must admit that without ethical behaviour there is no
credibility, and without credibility there is no business. They must also remember that PR is a two way
street: not only do we represent our organization to the public, but we must
also present the opinions of the public back to our organization. We should
help our organisation and its employees understand how the public perceives our
actions.
Guidelines public relations practitioners should follow to
avoid moral and ethical conflict.
1.
Have proper education in PR, and knowledge of PR ethics.
Professionals in the field of public relations must have knowledge and focus on ethics before they encounter a situation of difficult moral decision. The moment when a crisis of conflicting interest comes it will be too late to find and seek moral guidance. Practitioners must be fully familiar with the ethical values of their organizations before these values are put under public scrutiny.
Professionals in the field of public relations must have knowledge and focus on ethics before they encounter a situation of difficult moral decision. The moment when a crisis of conflicting interest comes it will be too late to find and seek moral guidance. Practitioners must be fully familiar with the ethical values of their organizations before these values are put under public scrutiny.
2. Be Aware of their own values.
Public relations practitioners should be totally aware of their own values. Taking stock of their own values as individuals and practitioners of public relations will be of immense help when the moment comes that these values will be put under pressure by a client, a supervisor, or by the public.
3. Be able to identify tacky situations.
Be vigilant of and identify issues that have the potential to become ethical dilemmas. The failure to identify and act on ethical issues will often result in costly failures and public relations debacles for the organization concerned. Early identification of ethical issues will allow more time for analysis, discussion, research, and resolution of these issues. A proactive position is easier to take rather than merely reacting to issues that have been brought to light by the public or by media.
Public relations practitioners should be totally aware of their own values. Taking stock of their own values as individuals and practitioners of public relations will be of immense help when the moment comes that these values will be put under pressure by a client, a supervisor, or by the public.
3. Be able to identify tacky situations.
Be vigilant of and identify issues that have the potential to become ethical dilemmas. The failure to identify and act on ethical issues will often result in costly failures and public relations debacles for the organization concerned. Early identification of ethical issues will allow more time for analysis, discussion, research, and resolution of these issues. A proactive position is easier to take rather than merely reacting to issues that have been brought to light by the public or by media.
4. Follow the mission statement.
Public relations professionals should be aware of the fundamental values inherent in the organization’s mission statement and code of ethics. There focus should be on the ethical business approach that will be the nearest to organizational values in practice. The function of public relations in this area would be to encourage discussion and ethical debate throughout the organization by using internal communications.
5. Training of the top management in PR.
Educating top level management of the capabilities of public relations beyond media relations and prevention of ethical dilemmas can contribute to the success of the organization by using conflict or crises and issues management and managing relationships with all the target publics through righteous communication, internally and externally.
Public relations professionals should be aware of the fundamental values inherent in the organization’s mission statement and code of ethics. There focus should be on the ethical business approach that will be the nearest to organizational values in practice. The function of public relations in this area would be to encourage discussion and ethical debate throughout the organization by using internal communications.
5. Training of the top management in PR.
Educating top level management of the capabilities of public relations beyond media relations and prevention of ethical dilemmas can contribute to the success of the organization by using conflict or crises and issues management and managing relationships with all the target publics through righteous communication, internally and externally.
And
Book.:
Public Relations 4 You - A guide to PR Theory & Practice
Public Relations 4 You - A guide to PR Theory & Practice
Author
: Suresh Gaur
3 Chapters : Introduction to IPRA, PRSI & GAPR&CM
3 Chapters : Introduction to IPRA, PRSI & GAPR&CM
P R Code of Ethics, Ethics in
Public Relations
SURESH
GAUR
P
R GURU
Founder
& CEO
P
R 4 You
Visiting
Faculty of PR at:-
IIMC,
IMCIT-YMCA, DSJ –DU (NC),
SPCC&M-BVB,
& ASCO-Amity Univ.
Great Professor
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