Public Relation is the practice of preaching the organization's message in public. Sometimes PR professionals face ethical problem in the path of influencing value, belief, opinion and behaviour of the public. This is a guideline for the ethical practice of Public relations.

1. ETHICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
By:-
ABHINAV KUMAR
B.A IN MASS COMMUNICATION (4rth SEM)
MAKHANLALCHATURVEDIUNIVERSITYOF JOURNALISMAND COMMUNICATION

2. PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually
beneficial relationships between organization and their publics.
PRS America
Public Relations is a tool to communicate and win over the people.
PRS India
Public relation is the Practice of managing communication
between an organization and its public.

3. Why do organizations need Public Relations ?

4. Media Relation
-: A Public Relations Organization
establishes a good relationship
between it’s client and media.
-: It insures the presence of it’s client
in public and do maximum publicity
by utilizing media as a medium.

5.  Corporate Communication
:- It is a management function or department,
like marketing, finance, or operations, dedicated to the
dissemination of information to key constituencies,
the execution of corporate strategy and the
development of messages for a variety of purposes for
inside and outside the organisation.
. Financial Times
:- Corporate communication plays a vital role in
ensuring an organisation stays afloat in an ever-
changing industry and maintains a credible reputation
amongst media, clients and general public.

6. Brand Publicity
:- It is all about developing the interest of
customer and establish creditable image in the market of
a particular brand.
:- The professionals engaged in PR use various
methods to attract media interest in a product or service
so as to develop positive expectations in the mind of the
public.
E.g. News about Jio before it’s launch had
prevailed a sense of curiosity among people which played
a vital role in it’s promotion.
Brand promotion of Coca cola.

7. Facing Adverse Publicity
:- Not every publicity is good publicity.
:- The Bad Publicity results in loss of trust,
effects
on sales, damaged brand equity,
brand
association etc. But PR of brands ensure
that
these damage get controlled.
E.g.. Case of Maggi

8. Lobbying
:- Negotiation with legislators, officials
and
organisation to influence policies,
actions and
decisions.
:- It is generally done by associations
and
organized groups, including
individuals in
the private sector, corporation,
government
officials, interest groups.
E.g. Business Groups like FICCI, CII
Agrarian Groups like AIKS, BKU

9. Counseling
-:Public relations Counseling is all about to study
the changes in environment, understanding the
attitudes and aspirations of the public and providing
the feedback to management so that it could make
necessary changes to establish the good relation
between the organisation and the public.
E.g.. A political PR organisation conducting survey for
its client whose feedback helps in drafting manifesto
of that particular Political Party.

10. What is ETHICS ?
Ethics is moral principles that govern a
person’s or an organisation’s behaviour.
It involves systematizing, defending, and
recommending concepts of right and
wrong behaviour.

11. Why do we need ETHICS in PR ?

12. In current social scenario, most of the people believe that PR
professionals are substitute of propagandists who smartly manipulate
the people’s mind.
In a survey, approx. 70% of general public in America does not trust
PR industry and paradoxically 2/3 journalists do not believe in this
profession.

13. Public relations must be based on ‘doing
the right things’. The practice of public
relation is all about earning credibility.
Credibility, in turns begin with telling the
truth. In other words, ‘acting ethically’.
:- Fraser P. Seitel
President Emerald Partners
(America)

14. What are ETHICAL issues in PR ?

15. Primary obligation :- To the organisation or the
Public ! If promoting a Client which is right by
law but unethical by people’s perspective.
 E.g. A PR agency promoting a cigarette/liquor
brand. As we all know that smoking/drinking is
injurious to health. In such situation, for PR
agency it becomes tough to decide it’s primary
obligation i.e. towards the organisation or the
public. And similarly it becomes hard to decide
either to do or not to do the promotion of a
product which is unethical but legal.

16. The general allegations on PR are :-
• Manipulation of facts & figure and
presenting distorted reality.
• Hiding the information from the Public.
• Pseudo-events / Media events
• Promoting propaganda of the organisation
• When it do for the rivals, then shows
approach and loyalty

17. ETHICs in Public relations
(As per Prsa’s code of ethics)

18. advocacy
• Responsible Advocacy
Fitzpatrick and Gauthier(2001)
• Public Relations organisation should serve the public
interest by acting as responsible advocates for those they
represent. Actually these organisations are champions for
the brands. They must provide a strong voice to their
clients.

19. Honesty
“Honesty is the best policy”
• Public must adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and
truth in advancing the interest of those they represent and
communicating with the public.
• It means PR organisations must not propagate lie, distorted
and figure, and should allow free flow of information.
• Public relations must be planned effort to influence opinion
through good character and responsible performance, based
upon mutually satisfactory two-way communications.
Scott Cutlip and Allen Center

20. loyalty
• public relations organisation must be faithful to those they
represent while honouring there obligation to serve the public.
• They must not share the secret of their clients to anyone else.
• The public relations organisation must not work for the two rival at
the same time or for the brand which they do not like. Otherwise it
will compel them to show biased approach and loyalty.

21. Fairness
• A PR organisation must deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors,
peers and media.
• The organisation must respect all opinions and support the right of
free expression.
• Do not Backstab.
E.g. In the race of ‘Exclusive news’ journalists prefer rewriting the press
release rather than independent research of the soft news. This way
journalist became dependent on PR organisations. Now it is in hand of
that PR organisation that what kind of information provided in press
release and what reaches to the public.

22. Expertise
• It is duty of PR organisations to provide a quality service to their
client by using specialised knowledge and experience.
• They must promote their clients in professional way with best
strategies.
• For the best service to clients, there must be minute research on
the issues with brands, well educated and updated professionals
and finally a well planned promoting structure.

23. independent
• PR organisation must provide objective council to those they
represent and must be accountable for the actions.
• Within organisation , Everybody should be free to share their idea,
views, objection etc.
• Everybody should have independence of choice and right to
stand with truth even that go against authority in organisation.

24. to attain ideal practice in PR

25. Promote Fair Competition
-: the fair competition among PR professionals not only
ensure the
sustainability of ethical practice but also serve public interest
by
providing vast option of professionals and foster a healthy
business
environment.
 Allowing Free Flow of Information
-: The free flow of information within as well as out side
the
organization is most important step to secure public interest.
-: PR professional must disseminate accurate and truthful
information to establish the good relationships with people
and

26. Protection of Confidential and Private Information
:- To build strong relationship with clients, PR
organizations must
safeguard the confidences and privacy rights of present as
well as
former clients.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
:- The PR professionals must keep their personal/ professional
interest
apart while dealing with clients and public. One should
avoid conflicts
of interest and promote the social interest first will definitely
boost up
the trust and mutual respect for each other.

27. conclusion
स जीवति गुणा यस्य धर्मो यस्य जीवति ।
गुणधर्ममतवहीनो यो तनष्फलं िस्य जीतविर्म
Meaning:-
Those who are virtuous,
Those who are religious are alive (or are called
“alive"). The person who is devoid of virtue and
religion, his life is sterile.

28. Heartiest Thanks to
Special Thanks
M C R P S V

29. thank You