Another critical aspect of business that needs to be addressed is ethics and the importance of it to PR. A lot of people have a negative opinion of public relations because they thing that all PR practitioners are dishonest and only tell you what you would like to hear. While this might be true to some individuals, ethics should be and are found in PR. The PR Society of America actually has a “Code of Ethics” and is useful for members to carry out ethical responsibilities.
In a recent blog post, “PR & Ethics: Yes they do go together”, an individual gives very impressive tips to follow when faced with an ethical dilemma in a workplace. Know and apply the PRSA Code of Ethics, ask questions to supervisors while still being professional, find a mentor and consult with them and most important, remember it’s okay to say “no.” I’ve always found that being honest about ones client is more important than trying to cover the truth. It will eventually come out and it’s easier to fix something if you have been open and honest about it than if you have tried to hide it.
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kimleslie
// Nov 28, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Hey Kallie! Hope you’re doing well
Just thought I’d leave you a quick comment for our class.
I also cited the PRSA code of ethics in my blog post about PR and ethics. Ethics codes are essential for values-driven PR and I agree that ethical behavior makes it much easier to fix a crisis if the practitioner has followed ethical practices. Relationship management is essential to effective PR, and practitioners must act ethically in the interest of relationships with all stakeholders. This should not only be practiced externally, but internally as well. If practitioners are honest with employees and other members of an organization first, they will gain the trust and credibility essential for effective relationships with external organizations. Being honest internally first makes it much easier to deal with crisis situations (and key external stakeholders) later.
-Kim
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