Ethical Public Relations

Ethical Public Relations

April 2014San Diego State UniversityPublic Relations Student Society of America

PRSA Code of Ethics

• Sets principles and guidelines that are built on core values

• Honesty• Advocacy• Loyalty • Professional Development • Objectivity

Code Guidelines

• Be honest and accurate in all communications• Reveal sponsors for represented causes and interests• Act in the best interest of clients and employers• Safeguard confidences and privacy rights of clients and

employees• Follow ethical hiring practices to respect free and open

competition • Avoid conflicts between personal and professional

interests

Code Guidelines Cont.

• Decline representation of clients requiring actions contrary to the Code

• Accurately define what public relations activities can accomplish

• Report all ethical violations to the appropriate authority

TRUST

Trust is critical to success in life and in public relations

“There is a pervading crisis of confidence and trust in the global corporate culture. Trust has been ruptured between

many organizations and their constituencies.

Yet trust is at the basis of every relationship. The loss of trust leads to the loss of reputation and, ultimately, to the

loss of business.”

Companies & Trust

• Brands like • Target

• McDonalds• Wal-Mart

• Bank of America• Amazon• Facebook• IBM

Trust & Professions

•Which profession is the most and least trusted ?

Most Trusted

• Nurses • Pharmacists• Police• Engineers• Dentists• College Teachers• Clergy

Least Trusted

• Bankers• Governors• Lawyers• Business Executives• Advertising Practitioners • Senators• Insurance Sales

**ONLY 17 percent of Americans trust the government to do the right thing most or all of the time**

Unethical Acts

• Plagiarism• Looking the other way• Stealing of Intellectual Property of Others• Use of video news releases as a Public Relations tool

What does this mean to you?

As students how does ethical decision making affect you?

You, Ethics, Now

• No rule bending because you are a student• For those entering the field, doing internships & getting

jobs puts you right in the midst of ethical decision making on a daily basis

• Being able to speak up about acts that you feel are ethically wrong

• Not turning a blind eye because you are the “intern”

Start your ethical road map today

• What are your top 5 values?• The ones you are not willing to compromise on for

anything

Final Notes – Basic Steps to ethical decision making

1. Define the specific ethical issue or conflict2. Identify internal/external factors (e.g. legal, political, social, economic) that may influence the decision3. Identify key values4. Identify parties who will be affected by the decision and define the public relations professional’s obligation to each5. Select ethical principles to guide the decision-making process6. Make a decision and justify it