Ethical Considerations in PR

With the public relations industry on the rise, controversy surrounding the profession has grown just as fast. Trying to avoid stereotypes such as “spinning” of “flack” organizations such as the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) have established a Code of Ethics by which their members must comply. Many PRSA members undergo strict regulations in order to gain accreditation in the field of PR. Since there is currently established testing to become a PR professional, such as law school for lawyers or medical school for doctors, accreditation by PRSA or IABC is the best available option we have today.

The PRSA Code of Ethics includes a list of rules by which their members are encouraged to obey in order to increase credibility of the PR profession.

Some of the issues included in the Code of Ethics include:
Be honest and accurate in all communications
Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible
Preserve the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring that gifts are nominal, legal and infrequent
To serve the public interest by providing the widest choice of practitioner options

This full Code of Ethics can be viewed here. As our generation represents a large increase in PR practitioners, I feel it is our duty to follow the Code of Ethics, whether an accredited practitioner or not, in order to develop a reputable profession. Developing a positive image of PR and breaking through the stereotypes starts at an individual level. If we take it upon ourselves to start the change, we will see a huge progression in the field in the next decade.

Here's a video addressing the question, "Should bloggers follow a professional code of ethics?"