The current public focus on corporate America, owing to shifting priorities by the major media, and the alleged misdeeds of Enron, Global Crossings, Arthur Andersen, et. al.,
should prompt some introspection about ethical practices among PR practitioners.
Already under civil, criminal, and congressional scrutiny are major corporations and their senior and financial executives; the largest accounting/consulting firms; regulatory
entities; securities analysts; lenders; and lobbyists.
But what about the roles played by public relations and investor relations firms - which frequently possess "insider information" that could be abused or withheld - that were
engaged by these businesses and other interests? Resolving PR practitioners' ethical responsibilities is a very complex challenge.
Which comes first: credibility with the media or loyalty to one's firm and clients? What practitioner is willing to risk his or her job and the agency's account revenues of,
for example, $250,000 annually, by challenging the veracity of a client's disclosures?
Is it ethical to hide damaging information, so long as the PR pro isn't asked about the matter by the media? Is it ethical to only put out good news and ignore the bad? Is it
ethical to overstate the virtues of client accomplishments and leadership abilities? Should there be more balance?
One can presume that the majority of PR and IR practitioners follow ethical practices in most situations when they are conducting business. And just as only a small percentage
of highly-visible corporations and executives have come under scrutiny by the media and regulatory agencies in recent months, only a small portion of PR firms and public relations
professionals are likely to be scrutinized for their ethical practices.
Setting a Standard
Nonetheless, the need for a sensible, uniform standard of ethical conduct in the business communications profession is pressing. And compounding the problem is the fact that
there isn't one single "higher authority" or universal professional institution that can address the issue.
Within the PR and IR universe, diverse ethical codes exist. The International Association of Business Communicators has a Code of Ethics; Public Relations Society of America
has a Code of Professional Standards; and the Foundation for Public Relations Research and Education has conducted a landmark study on ethics.
In actual practice, there are wide-ranging differences within the PR community when it comes to the definition of ethical standards and ethical behavior. According to an
adjunct professor of public relations at CUNY-Baruch, ethical codes are regularly ignored in PR and IR, largely because of ignorance or expediency.
For example, some of the best-known PR firms have put out misleading information in takeover battles; represented both sides in a contested acquisition; taken credit for the
work of other firms; secretly shorted the stock of IR clients they were promoting under false pretenses; and committed other misdeeds. In many cases, ethics remain an idealistic
road that is not assiduously followed.
Ethics Defined
Ethics and credibility are not the same. Ethics, according to Webster, are based on integrity, and involve strict adherence to a standard of value or conduct; a person of
integrity is viewed as honest and independent. Credibility, which is one of the most widely-used words in PR, may be defined as believable or plausible; a credible individual's
words are worthy of consideration.
As PR practitioners we seek to be credible with the media, clients, and prospects.
As ethical practitioners we seek to create or enhance public trust, and to be viewed as having integrity in our relationships and in our actions.
That is where conflicts arise - not between credibility and integrity - but in serving more than one master at one time and being compelled to maintain some balance in the
various dealings.
In the sidebar, "A Code to Consider," I suggest a code of ethics which includes credibility, integrity and other attributes that any ethical public relations practitioner will
incorporate into his or her daily business dealings.
Formulating a code of ethics is fairly easy. The challenge is for all PR professionals to accept such a code and practice it regularly.
Mark Leeds is founder of Leeds Communications Associates in New York. He can be reached at 212/292-4996.
A Code to Consider
A. Integrity: To mean and believe in what one says (or writes), to keep one's word, and to strive to do what is right.
B. Credibility: To communicate truth and facts, to be thorough, and to avoid misleading and disingenuous communications.
C. Accountability: To accept responsibility for one's acts and behavior.
D. Discretion: To keep confidences, so long as fraud, gross behavior, or other misdeeds aren't being covered up.
E. Professionalism: To treat journalists fairly and with respect, even when not reciprocated, and to make a best effort to respond to their inquiries.
F. Forthrightness: To openly identify all key sources of quotes and material information, to avoid plagiarism, to avoid making unfair comparisons.
G. Abstention: To avoid exploiting inside information such as by stock purchases or short sales based on undisclosed material, for monetary gain, leverage, or the purposes of
self-aggrandizement.
H. Equilibrium: To strike an appropriate balance between loyalty to one's firm and clients, and responsibilities to the media and the public interest.