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A profession is
distinguished by certain characteristics or attributes,
including:
-
Mastery
of a particular intellectual skill through education
and training
-
Acceptance of duties to a broader society than merely
one’s clients/employers
-
Objectivity
-
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
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;
-
To
adhere to the principles of the Global Protocol on
Ethics in Public Relations.
Protocol Standards
We believe it is the duty
of every association and every member within that
association that is party to the Global Protocol on
Ethics in Public Relations to:
-
Acknowledge that there is an obligation to protect and
enhance the profession.
-
Keep
informed and educated about practices in the
profession that ensure ethical conduct.
-
Actively
pursue personal professional development.
-
Accurately define what public relations activities can
and cannot accomplish.
-
Counsel
its individual members in proper ethical
decision-making generally and on a case specific
basis.
-
Require
that individual members observe the ethical
recommendations and behavioral requirements of the
Protocol.
We are committed to
ethical practices, preservation of public trust, and the
pursuit of communication excellence with powerful
standards of performance, professionalism, and ethical
conduct.
Advocacy
We will serve our
client and employer interests by acting as responsible
advocates and by providing a voice in the market place
of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public
debate.
Honesty
We will adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and
truth in advancing the interests of clients and
employers.
Integrity
We will conduct our business with integrity and observe
the principles and spirit of the Code in such a way that
our own personal reputation and that of our employer and
the public relations profession in general is protected.
Expertise
We will encourage members to acquire and responsibly use
specialized knowledge and experience to build
understanding and client/employer credibility.
Furthermore we will actively promote and advance the
profession through continued professional development,
research, and education.
Loyalty
We will insist that members are faithful to those they
represent, while honoring their obligations to serve the
interests of society and support the right of free
expression.
Advancing the Protocol
We believe it is
the responsibility of each member association to draw
upon its own member’s experiences to expand the number
of examples of good and bad practice so as to better
inform members’ ethical practices. Experiences should be
broadly shared with other members within the association
and with the Global Alliance so as to build up case
histories that may assist in individual cases throughout
the world.
Appendix A
offers some values-based guidance to members.
Appendix B
is a set of case studies to add real life situations to
the ethical practice of public relations. Both of these
documents should be read as adding value and meaning to
the universal code.
Prepared by the Global Alliance Code of ethics
project team:
Jean Valin APR, Fellow CPRS, Canada
Don LaBelle, APR, Fellow CPRS, Canada
Chris Skinner and
Gary Mersham,
APR, South Africa
Jim Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, United States
Nigel O’Connor, IPR, United Kingdom
Toni Muzi Falconi, Italy
Ulli Sats, Estonia
Appendix A
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE ETHICAL
PRACTICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
The working group would like to thank
the PRSA Board of Ethics and professional standards for
providing the inspiration of the guiding principles and
the use of the case studies in appendix B.
Preamble
A code of ethics and professional
conduct is an individual matter that should be viewed as
a guide to make sound values-based decisions.
Ethical performance, not principles,
is ultimately what counts. No one can dictate precise
outcomes for every situation. However, we can apply
common values and decision-making processes to arrive at
a decision and justify it to others.
In making decisions, we should be
guided by a higher sense of serving the public as a
whole as opposed to specific constituencies on an
exclusive basis.
Consideration should be given to the
protection of privacy of individuals and respect
for the spirit as well as the letter of
applicable laws.
Decision-making guide
1.
Define the specific ethical
issue/conflict.
2.
Identify internal/external factors (
e.g. legal, political, social, economic) that may
influence the decision.
3.
Identify key values that are in
question
4.
Identify the parties who will be
affected by the decision and define the public relations
professional’s obligation to each.
5.
Select the ethical principles to
guide the decision-making process.
6.
Make a decision and justify it to all
parties affected by the decision and to the public if
necessary.
Appendix B
Case Studies
(all companies are fictional)
Case Study #1
Megabucks Energy Company
·
New oil discovery
·
Management wants discovery downplayed
·
Discovery is real
·
What to do you do in making
announcement?
1. Define
specific ethical issue
·
Is it ethical to disseminate deceptive
information regarding the financial condition of my
company?
2.
Identify internal/external
factors that may influence decision
making process
·
SEC rules
·
Federal and state laws
·
Company values, policies and procedures
3.
Identify key values
·
Loyalty
·
Advocacy
·
Honesty
·
Independence
4.
Identify affected parties
·
Company/employer
·
Board of directors
·
Shareholders
·
SEC
·
Financial community
·
Financial media
·
Employees
·
Public
·
Profession
·
Self
5.
Select ethical principles
·
Protecting and advancing the free flow of
accurate and truthful information
·
Preserving the integrity of the
communications process
6.
Make a decision
·
Advise the company of potential legal
issues including SEC regulations
·
Advise the company against deceptive
practices
·
Refuse to write the release
Case Study
#2
PR Counselling Company
-
Provides
media with a tip regarding competitors alleged
underhanded tactics to win new mine approval
-
Tactics
include payoff of public officials
-
Tip
results in front page story burning competitor and
client
-
What do
you do?
1.
Define specific ethical
issue
·
Is it ethical for disgruntled competitor
to tell media what the winning firm has proposed?
·
Is it appropriate to share this
information with a reporter?
·
Or, should you report it to the proper
authorities?
2.
Identify internal/external factors
that may influence decision making process
·
Would the new mine benefit or harm the
public?
·
Are the proposed tactics legal?
·
Are the proposed tactics part of the
firm’ program?
·
Are local officials suspect?
·
Does the competitor know if company will
use the recommended tactics?
·
How did the competitor discover this
information? Was it improperly obtained?
3.
Identify key values
·
Fairness
·
Honesty
·
Advocacy
4.
Identify affected parties
·
Competitor and employees
·
Elected officials
·
Media
·
Citizens
·
Losing firm and employees
5.
Select ethical principles
·
Promote and respect healthy and fair
competition among professionals
·
Protect and advancing the flow of
accurate and truthful information is essential to
serving the public interest
6.
Make a decision
·
Ethical obligation should be based on
facts only
·
If the facts are unsubstantiated then the
“tip” is unethical
·
If the fact are substantiated, the losing
firm has an ethical obligation to make illegal actions
known to the public
Case Study
#3
PR World, Inc.
-
You
represent the National Cement and Asphalt Contractors
Assn in Italy
-
Your PR
firm has been asked to organize the Livorno Citizens
for Active Road Expansion
-
You have
been asked by media about LCARE
-
What do
you tell them?
1.
Define specific ethical
issue
·
Is it ethical to omit sponsor
information?
·
Is it ethical to disseminate false
information regarding LCARE that my firm manages?
2.
Identify
internal/external factors that may influence decision
making process
·
Do local, state or federal laws play a
role?
·
What are my company values policies or
procedures?
·
What action do I believe are in the
public’s best interest?
3.
Identify key values
·
Honesty
·
Fairness
·
Independence
4.
Identify affected parties
·
Livorno citizens
·
Voters
·
Government officials
·
Media
·
Public relations profession
·
Colleagues/employees/self
5.
Select ethical principles
·
Disclosure of information
·
Open communication fosters informed
decision making in a democratic society
6.
Make a decision
·
Responsible advocacy requires that those
affected be given due consideration
·
Appropriate action dictates a truthful
response to the media disclosing your client as the
sponsor of LCARE
Case Study
#4
Worldwide India Widget Co
-
Non-Disclosure policy set in stone
-
Rapal &
Rapal PR account team briefed on revolutionary new
product
-
Information regarding new product is unintentionally
leaked by drunk employee to media
-
What do
you do?
1.
Define specific ethical
issue
·
Do I inform client what has happened?
·
Should I try to get editor to hold story?
·
What are my responsibilities to my
employee?
2.
Identify
internal/external factors that may influence decision
making process
·
Enforcement of non-disclosure policy
·
Policy of media regarding hold on story
·
Responsibility to intemperate employee
3.
Identify key values
·
Honesty
·
Independence
·
Loyalty
·
Fairness
4.
Identify affected parties
·
WIWC management and employees
·
Specific media as well as other media
·
Rapal & Rapal employees
5.
Select ethical principles
·
Safeguarding confidences
·
Clients trust requires appropriate
protection of confidential information
·
Obligation to protect privacy right
6.
Make a decision
·
Immediately inform client of breach
·
Ask editor to hold information and offer
exclusive, or
·
Consider early release of information
·
Terminate employee
·
Hope you don’t get sued and/or lose the
account
Case Study
#5
Outback Bank
-
Advertising specialty program for 10,000 employees
-
Large
Promotions company recommended by PT agency
-
Your
wife owns Large Promotions
-
What do
you do?
1.
Define specific ethical
issue
·
Do I inform bank management?
·
Should I ask PR firm to select another
vendor?
·
Should I let PR firm select vendor?
·
Large Promotions had the best price,
isn’t that good enough?
2.
Identify
internal/external factors that may influence decision
making process
·
Conflict of interest policy at bank
·
Conflict of interest policy at PR firm
·
Responsibility to employees
3.
Identify key values
·
Honesty
·
Expertise
·
Independence
·
Loyalty
·
Fairness
4.
Identify affected parties
·
Bank management
·
Bank employees
5.
Select ethical principles
·
Conflict of interest
·
Avoiding real, potential or perceived
conflicts of interests builds trust
6.
Make a decision
·
Even though it is ok with your employer,
notify PR agency of your decision not to use your wife’s
company, Large Promotions
Case Study
#6
Sussex
group-Housing Developer
-
Multi-family project in Greater London area
-
Land for
development was former landfill site
-
Low
levels of contaminants present
-
You
recommend open communications regarding site
-
Your
loss informs you that the landfill information is not
to be included
-
What do
you do?
1.
Define specific ethical
issue
·
Do you follow your employer’s
instructions?
·
Should potential renters have this
information?
2.
Identify
internal/external factors that may influence decision
making process
·
Is the developer legally bound to reveal
land history?
·
What steps is developer taking regarding
contamination?
·
Is monitoring a strategy?
·
Residents. Might they be affected by the
state of the land in the future?
3.
Identify key values
·
Honesty
·
Independence
·
Loyalty
·
Fairness
4.
Identify affected parties
·
The developer
·
Public relations professional
·
Potential residents
5.
Select ethical principles
·
Enhancing the public relations profession
·
Disclosure of information
6.
Make a decision
·
Environmental agency reports are public
information
·
Open and honest communication with all
parties is paramount
·
Your company’s and your professional
reputation are at stake
PR
professional must convince boss to disclose
A letter
from
Jean Valin APR, Fellow CPRS Chair – Global
Alliance
to all
GA members:
SUBJECT: RATIFICATION
OF WORLD STANDARD ON ETHICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
I am
writing to ask about your intentions to ratify the first
world standard adopted by the Global Alliance members in
2003: the Ethics
Protocol. A
copy of the code
which was adopted as a
minimum standard is
attached for your reference. When the code
was adopted, we had agreed that a protocol would be put
in place to allow flexible implementation of the ethical
code of conduct before the end of 2006. All new members
since 2003 had one year to ratify the ethics protocol.
Many of the key members of the Global Alliance (GA) have
already returned the ratification document dutifully
signed by authorised officers.
Since
the formation of the GA and the adoption of a strategic
plan last year, setting world standards was seen by our
members as a ‘must do’ for the Alliance members. Ethics
was the first area we tackled with work continuing in
the area of credentials and curriculum standards.
Indeed, it was seen as so important that ratification of
the code of ethics was seen as a condition to maintain
your membership in good standing.
As you
may recall, the GA adopted the protocol on ethics to
allow for flexible ratification of the code by all
members. By that we mean that you have two choices to
achieve ratification: the first is to adopt the language
of the global code of ethics as your minimum standard to
which you may add any localised statements or particular
code of conduct; the second is to certify that your
existing code complies with the global code.
The
attached ratification document allows for either method
of ratification and must be signed and filed with the GA
secretariat in South Africa before the end of 2006.
As I
mentioned in my opening, I would like you to respond by
telling us what your plans are for ratification and by
when you think it will be signed and returned to us.
I am
sure you will want to help us build the credibility of
the profession by joining other members who have taken
this important step to support the mission of the GA and
to advance the profession.
I
would appreciate your response by June 18 2005. You may
reply directly to myself at:
jvalin@cdic.ca with a
copy to our secretariat:
susanr@prisa.co.za . If you are in a position to
ratify within the next few months, please return the
signed document to Susan Richardson by regular mail at
the South African mail address.
Thank
you.
Jean Valin APR, Fellow CPRS
Chair – Global Alliance | 
