media update’s Nakedi Phala discusses the written and unwritten laws that define an ethical PR career.

In an obvious sense, it would be chaotic if there were no rules that set parameters for PR pros’ moral compasses. 

Some if not most people perceive these professionals as ‘spin doctors’ or deceivers. The reason for this may lie in the fact that, often, PRs are found within contexts where communication has a high potential of going haywire. This is why, more than anything else, PR pros are there to clarify, put things into context and to deal with communication crises. They are there to ensure the right kind of communication.

In this article, we dissect some ethics down to the wire so that you better understand the role of ethics governing an upstanding, true PR pro. 

Let’s take a look at the four golden rules: 

1. Always be honest 

One of the fundamental characteristics of what a PR pro should be is honest. A consistently transparent PR carries a reputation of trustworthiness.

Whether you did something unethical or just made an honest mistake, how you go about the whole situation will define what type of PR agency you are. Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone owns up to them. Lying in any situation can “lead to prolonged dishonesty, lack of trust from others and cynicism," according to IPRA. 

An example of this is a journalist, after publishing news or information, learns that the PR liaison (the source of the information) told a half-truth and never came clean about it. This would lead to the journalist being less willing to use the PR as a future source because they chose to not rectify the error.

Which PR pro are you? Well, the answer lies within your conscience ... And it will reflect on your overall behaviour. 

2. Honour time 

Everyone wants to work with a PR that respects their time. Who wouldn’t want to work with a time steward? Time is an expensive commodity that, once wasted, can’t be replaced. 

But in a busy industry like PR, it's a challenge to always keep track of all the meetings and deadlines. 

Here are a few golden tips you may want to consider to help you stay ahead of the curve: 
  • Diarise meetings and deadlines. 
  • Schedule meetings with priority clients in your traditional diary and your digital devices (rather safe than sorry).
  • Try to always be at meeting venues before the actual scheduled time (for preparations, meet and greets). It helps you to prepare and gives a good impression to those you are meeting.
  • For telephonic or video meetings, always set up your equipment an hour or two before the actual meeting to avoid any technical issues; these could delay the meeting and make you look unprofessional overall.

3. Be competent 

In PR, being competent means having sound knowledge skills and attitudes that determine your performance in the industry. 

What this means is that your competency should measure against certain work standards. For example, an intern PR pro is more likely to take longer to complete the task at hand. Why? They are still in the learning phase. However, an average or well-tuned professional should be competent to complete tasks in record time (most of the time that is) without compromising on the standard of the work. 

Competency is a combination of various things, such as talent mixed with professionalism.  The two should always be in balance. If one overweighs the one over the other, there are high chances that you might find yourself being obsessed with work or being arrogant at times and that would result in having clouded judgment. 

Essentially, competency is like a diet; too much of something good is bad and too much of something bad is ... well, really bad. When you feel like you are losing balance, take a step back, reevaluate and reposition yourself. 

4. Maintain confidentiality 

Trust is earned and, as a PR officer, it’s important that your clients, publications and stakeholders feel comfortable sharing confidential information with you and not second guess their disclosures.  

Confidentiality is not only a journalism or legal field fundamental; it’s also an important fundamental in PR, as it forms part of the industry’s core principles. In a case whereby you’re switching from one firm or client, you should always protect the privacy of your current and former employees. Never use this information to benefit yourself at the mercy of others — it’s simply unethical. 

However, in cases where the law requires access to information that you feel is confidential, it’s best to make contact with your company’s superiors or contact a lawyer so that they can advise you on how to handle things going forward.

In some situations, you might find yourself caught in a ‘catch-22’. Here, it’s best to ask for advice using a hypothetical situation, so as to not disclose anything you shouldn’t. Asking never hurts anybody, and in this case, you will need to make a well-informed decision.

When you honour confidentiality, you not only protect the reputation of those associated with you but your reputation as well. 

Guidelines help PR pros practice their work in an ethical manner. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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