Chief Justice Earl Warren once said, “The man of character, sensitive to the meaning of what he is doing, will know how to discover the ethical paths in the maze of possible behavior.” While that is certainly true, most ethical dilemmas in public relations generally arise not because we don’t want to do the right thing, but because responsibilities and loyalties conflict. Often we're forced to chose from among actions that meet competing obligations. For instance, when does our obligation to serve the public interest override loyalty to our clients? When does a particular stakeholder's interest take priority over an employer's interest? Does our responsibility to disclose information override our role as "responsible advocates" for our clients?
These questions illustrate the challenge of practicing ethical public relations. They also raise the issue of how we should weigh alternative actions and balance competing interests. An ethical decision-making framework or process can be helpful in this regard. Employing such a framework or process forces us to address those significant issues that must be considered before taking action.
The PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards has developed a guide adapted to the special needs of public relations practitioners as one approach helpful in addressing ethical dilemmas. The guide, along with a number of other helpful documents like Professional Standards Advisories, may be found on the PRSA Web site by pointing your browser.
In the Hoosier Chapter of PRSA, we're proud of the continuous emphasis we place on the ethical conduct of public relations. Ethics is a foundational requirement of any profession, but especially important in one like ours which holds credibility so dearly. If the hair's standing up on the back of your neck or you just want to run something by me, please don't hesitate to give me a shout! To that end, the chapter Ethics Officer is always willing and available to address any ethical issues you might face. And remember…keep doing the right thing, even when nobody’s looking.
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