Public Relations Ethics

The morality of an action must always be considered when dealing with the public relations of an organization. Though there are rules that should be followed, it is not always easy to do what is right. Veteran practitioners say that the best policy is to always tell the truth. But, in some situations, people are prevented from discussing certain things due to legal issues. Regardless of the situation, a practitioner should always follow the six core values of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) вЂ" advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty and fairness.

By being fully prepared and using the nine contributions of public relations for organizations detailed by public relations legend Patrick Johnson, practitioners can hold true to the PRSA values. Being aware and informed, anticipating issues that may arise and managing crisis situations properly can ensure that one is not taken advantage of or pushed into being unethical. Motivating an organization, identifying opportunities and pushing an organization into social responsibility and public policy can prevent many situations from occurring in the first place. B y reducing executive isolation and increasing communication, a practitioner is less likely to have personal consequences when he/she stands up for what is right.

Communication is necessary in acting ethically. If a public relations practitioner does not fully understand or know all of the details of a situation, it is likely that he/she will not successfully handle problems. A practitioner should encourage shared values to be communicated through a code of conduct. A code of conduct is the key to ethically dealing with public relations. By knowing what can and can not be done, a practitioner can effectively communicate truthful and accurate information to intended individuals.

Public relations is extremely important to organizations. Practitioners must ethically increase understanding between those