How to Be an Ethical PR Practitioner

Working in franchise public relations can raise some ethical issues; you want to raise awareness for your client and get them business but you also want to do things correctly. You are to protect the integrity and public trust of your client and do so by ethical means. Being successful in franchise PR all depends on your ethics within the practice.

In order to make sure practitioners in the industry abide by good standards, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) created the Ethical Guidance for Public Relations Practitioners list. This list, or code, was made and is still maintained by the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards; its objective is to create principals and other guidelines that are founded upon core values. PRPs are to be advocates, honest, loyal, professional in their development, and objective.

As a PRP, you cannot prevent the flow of information to any source as long as the information is honest and correct. This is one of the principles of the code of ethics. This is because if there is information to be known about someone or a company, as long as it is not a fabrication or dishonest, then the world has the right to know. What can you do about this if the information is negative? Damage control; however, you cannot take the information and bury it for no one to see. However, you are to protect information that is confidential and private. This can create a sticky situation for some on what to disclose and what to hold in; it is a case by case basis.

Promoting an environment of healthy competition among fellow professionals is a key for the success of being in PR. You can help establish an advantage for a client but it has to be something that the competition can do as well; so this means no insider trading and "behind closed doors" dealings.

Avoiding any conflicts of interest is a biggie when it comes to obeying the code of ethics. It can seem like a great idea to get involved in something that you have a special connection to, however, this can create a bias. You have to remain objective.

Being open about a decision and the process is another principle for PRPs to follow. When you hide this, it can create a sense of distrust and secrecy that does not give the public confidence about those in the industry. As someone working in a franchise PR agency, you have to help the confidence gain trust in the PR industry. Being honest and accurate in all forms of communication is a big way to accomplish this principle.

If you have any questions about the PRSA Code of Ethics, then feel free to contact All Points PR - a Chicago PR agency.