Ethics and Public Relations

As a Chicago franchise public relations firm, we frequently hear critics of the public relations field spew hateful remarks about public relations deeming PR tactics as "ploys," "stunts," "spin" or in our opinion the worst and most untrue, "organized lying." It is unfortunate to hear such hateful remarks associated with our industry when so many public relations firms and experts try so hard to go by the book and integrate ethics into each campaign that they run. When a dilemma arises and ethics are called into question, having guidelines to follow and putting a process in place will ensure that you will stay on track as a public relations professional. Here are a few steps to follow to help integrate ethics into a public relations campaign:

1- Pre-determined ethical principles:  It is key in public relations, and really in business in general, that pre-determined ethical principles and guidelines are identified early on and that those involved follow those guidelines.  Pre-determined ethical principles should be identified before any type of ethical dilemma arises to help determine a course of action should a dilemma crop up.

2- Write it out: When an ethical dilemma arises, do not put it out of sight and out of mind.  Take some time to sort it out by writing it all down. Sometimes putting your thoughts onto paper will help you sort out your thoughts and help you come up with a solid decision on how to approach the situation and solve the issue.

3- Identify all factors: Identify internal and external factors regarding an ethical decision you are trying to make.  These factors may be politically, financially, or socially motivated, but all of these types of factors are important when making an ethical decision and must be taken into consideration.

4- Values: What values are involved in making an ethical decision?  This is something you must determine when an ethical issue arises.  If multiple values are being called into question you may need to rank them in order of importance and decide which values are more important than others.  Values, and awareness of values, is key in making an important ethical decision in the public relations field, and really in business as well.

5- Who is involved?: When making an ethical decision, jot out a list of all the parties who may be affected by the decision.  Also define what the obligation is to each party to help make a solid ethical decision.  Based on what the obligation is to each party, a PR professional may find themselves in a spot where they must speak with the parties regarding the situation and what is being done to rectify the decision in an ethical way.

6- Making the decision:  Once all of the above have been taken into account and steps have been taken to move forward, typically the next step is making the decision.  Following the decision, develop and implement an action plan that coincides with your ethical goals.

7- Reflection: The last step of the process should be an evaluation or reflection of the ethical decision-making process you have created and followed.  During the reflection phase it is important to identify what parts of the process worked and which did not work so that next time you can more carefully plan.

When a dilemma arises, it is always good to have a process in places to help you more effectively deal with it.  Feel free to leave comments or questions below or contact us.