Finding Your Ethical Compass
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#PRSAreboot slides from Janelle Gunthrie, APR, communications director at the Washington Employment Security Department.
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Finding Your Ethical Compass
- 1. Finding Your Ethical Compass Janelle Guthrie, APR PRSA National Board of Ethics and Professional Standards North Pacific District Conference | June 24, 2016
- 2. To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful. - Edward R. Murrow
- 3. Brief History & Evolution • Compliance • Enforcement • Punishment • Directive • Secretive Then • Integrity • Inspiration • Motivation • Educational • Open Now
- 4. PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values Advocacy Honesty Expertise Independence Loyalty Fairness
- 5. PRSA CODE OF ETHICS A model for other professions, organizations, and professionals
- 6. FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION • Preserve the integrity of the process of communication • 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
- 7. How’s your compass? • Can you review or promote your company or its products on social media using your personal social media account? – Resources: Ethical Standards Advisory ESA-20 (September 2015)
- 8. COMPETITION • Follow ethical hiring practices designed to respect free and open competition without deliberately undermining a competitor • Preserve intellectual property rights in the marketplace
- 9. How’s your compass • How far should you go when discussing concerns about a competitor with others? – Resources: Ethics case studies: Competition + Study Guide
- 10. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION • Be honest and accurate in all communications • Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the member is responsible • Investigate the truthfulness and accuracy of information released on behalf of those represented • Reveal the sponsors for causes and interests represented • Disclose financial interest (such as stock ownership) in a client's organization • Avoid deceptive practices
- 11. How’s your compass? • Can you establish a grassroots group to support your issue or organization? – Resources: • Ethical case studies: Disclosure of information + study guide • Ethical case studies: Representing front groups with undisclosed sponsors and engaging in deceptive practices while representing a front group + study guide
- 12. SAFEGUARDING CONFIDENCES • Safeguard the confidences and privacy rights of present, former and prospective clients and employees • Protect privileged, confidential or insider information gained from a client or organization • Immediately advise an appropriate authority if a member discovers that confidential information is being divulged by an employee of a client company or organization
- 13. How’s your compass? • You’ve taken a new job with a competing organization. How much of the knowledge you’ve gained at your former organization can you share in your new role? – Resources: Ethics Case Studies: Expropriation of Intellectual Property of Others + Study Guide
- 14. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST • Act in the best interests of the client or employer, even subordinating your personal interests • Avoid actions and circumstances that may appear to compromise good business judgment or create a conflict between personal and professional interests • Disclose promptly any existing or potential conflict of interest to affected clients or organizations • Encourage clients and customers to determine if a conflict exists after notifying all affected parties
- 15. How’s your compass? • Your executive team has asked you to complete a complex print job that will require an outside company’s assistance. In researching available companies, you learn the most competitive company is your spouse’s print company. Can you use this company? – Resources: Ethics Case Studies: Professional conflicts of interest + study guide
- 16. ENHANCING THE PROFESSION • Acknowledge the obligation to protect and enhance the profession • Keep informed and educated about practices in the profession to ensure ethical conduct • Actively pursue personal professional development • Decline representation of clients or organizations that urge or require actions contrary to this Code • Accurately define what public relations activities can accomplish • Counsel subordinates in proper ethical decision making • Require that subordinates adhere to the ethical requirements of the Code • Report ethical violations, whether committed by PRSA members or not, to the appropriate authority
- 17. How’s your compass? • What do you do if you learn a colleague is “astro-turfing?” – Resources: • Ethics case studies: Looking the other way + study guide • Ethics case studies: Enhancing the profession + study guide
- 18. Ethical Decision-Making 1. Define the issue/conflict 2. Identify the influencing factors 3. Identify the key values 4. Identify the defining parties 5. Select the guiding principles 6. Make a decision and justify it
- 19. Board of Ethics & Professional Standards • Senior practitioners from across the nation • Provides support to chapter ethics officers – Resources – Speaker bureau • Responds to media requests • Develops and updates Ethical Standards Advisories (ESAs) • Develops and updates Ethical Case Studies • Helps PRSA members with ethical dilemmas • Plans and implements Ethics Month Activities: – Webinars – Tweet chats – Articles • BEPS@prsa.org
- 20. Questions?
Editor's Notes
- Brief History First code written in 1950 Enforcement provisions were developed in 1959 Grievance board developed in 1962 Board of Ethics and Professional Standards developed in 1983 Code rewritten in 2000
- Core values of PRSA members and, more broadly, of the public relations profession. Foundation for the Member Code of Ethics Industry standard for the professional practice of public relations. Six fundamental beliefs that guide our behaviors and decision-making process. Advocacy: We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts and viewpoints to aid informed public debate. Honesty: We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public. Expertise: We acquire and responsibly use specialized knowledge and experience. We advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and education. We build mutual understanding, credibility, and relationships among a wide array of institutions and audiences. Independence: We provide objective counsel to those we represent. We are accountable for our actions. Loyalty: We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest. Fairness: We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression.
- Content providers should fully disclose paid placements and all associations with a product to support informed opinions and rational decision making.
- Front groups: A member implements "grass roots" campaigns or letter-writing campaigns to legislators on behalf of undisclosed interest groups.
- A member changes jobs, takes confidential information, and uses that information in the new position to the detriment of the former employer.
- You are working for a large corporation on a brochure. Your PR firm recommends that you use the service of a printing company who has the best quality and price. Your spouse is the owner of the printing company. What do you do? You inform your boss of the relationship you have with the printing company. You remove yourself from making the decision. You suggest to your boss that he does not hire the printing company to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
- A member initially assigns some questionable client work to a non-member practitioner to avoid the ethical obligation of PRSA membership. A PRSA member declares publicly that a product the client sells is safe, without disclosing evidence to the contrary.