Ethics, the Heart of Leadership
September is Ethics Awareness Month at PRSA
“The practice of public relations is all about earning credibility. Credibility, in turn, begins with telling the truth. Public relations, then, must be based on ‘doing the right thing’ — in other words, acting ethically.”
–—Fraser Seitel, veteran PR author and publicist
The practice of public relations can present unique and challenging ethical issues. At the same time, protecting integrity and the public trust are fundamental to the profession’s role and reputation.
Every September, PRSA underscores the importance of ethical conduct to our profession by providing members with a number of tools, resources and activities related to ethics.
Below is a listing of PRSA’s 2016 Ethics Month activities:
Colorado PRSA Fair & Ethical Campaign Pledge
The Colorado Chapter of PRSA is challenging the state’s 2016 Congressional campaigns to uphold the highest standards of ethical practice in every facet of their campaign communications by signing the Fair & Ethical Campaign pledge. As a leading voice for ethical communications, the chapter is compelled to encourage campaigns to be accurate, truthful and respectful during the upcoming election season. Campaigns will receive a pledge form, along with a copy of PRSA’s Code of Ethics, and are asked to sign and return the pledge.
We will recognize the campaigns that have signed on via prsacolorado.org, and local media will be apprised of the pledge campaign. Stay tuned for more information as the pledge campaign rolls out.
Colorado Political Forums
In conjunction with the Fair & Ethical Campaign, the chapter is partnering with Denver 7/KMGH-TV, the Denver Post, The Roosevelt Institute and the Denver Press Club to host four events leading up to the November 8 local and state election. These events, which will be free and open to the public, are intended to
• Promote fair, open and ethical communications
• Offer a platform for the candidates to pledge open and honest communication
• Educate Colorado voters in a manner that is friendly, nonpartisan and covers all aspects of the candidate or issue at hand
• Continue the dialogue with…BEER during our special event #TaptheVote at the Denver Press Club after each event
The events will feature some of the biggest candidate races and leading Colorado ballot issues. They will be heavily promoted with the help of our partners and will offer members (and the public) an inclusive way to get involved, get informed and participate in Colorado’s political process. More information about the events, dates and how you can get involved is forthcoming.
Ethics Month Survey
The Arthur W. Page Center has awarded a grant to BEPS members Marlene Neill, Ph.D., assistant professor, Baylor University, and Nancy Weaver, corporate communications at JT3. The survey, “How Millennials View Ethics in Public Relations,” will be conducted during Ethics Month and will feature input from both New Pros and associate members. The results will be presented at the PRSA International Conference, as well as shared through other public relations channels.
The Arthur W. Page Center provides funding for research projects that unite public relations researchers with professionals in the industry. This year, six projects have been selected and are designed to reveal a better understanding of ethics integrity in public communications.
PRSAY Blog Posts
Various authors including 2016 BEPS Chair Nance Larsen, APR, Fellow PRSA;Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA; Marlene Neill, Ph.D. and Johnathan Slater, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, will pose discussions and address current ethical challenges, issues and best practices.
Twitter Chats #PRethics
Sept. 13: PR Student Chat – Ethics, the Heart of Public Relations by Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA; Associate Professor, Communication/Public Relations, Curry College – 8:30 p.m. EST, #PRStuChat Realistic workplace scenarios, based on the PRSA Code of Ethics, will be presented to attendees for discussion. Solutions, tools and tips will be provided on how to successfully deal with ethical issues. Sept. 20: “Let’s Talk Ethics! Best Practices for Ethics Curriculum in Public Relations“– 8 p.m. EST. PR Division of AEJMC and the PRSA Educators Academy to discuss ethics in curriculum.
Ethics Webinar
“The Art and Courage of Dealing with Ethical Issues” Thursday, Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. EST As the ethics counselor of your organization, public relations practitioners seek to work with senior executives from a variety of departments to develop allies and form coalitions when their own power is limited. As a result, persuasive skills are also required to convince the influencers to adopt ethical alternatives. This Ethics webinar will discuss how to recruit allies and form coalitions as a mean to influence more senior executives, as well as provide examples of persuasive techniques that can be used to raise ethical concerns.
Ethics Quiz & App
Test your PR ethics knowledge by taking the PRSA Ethics Quotient (EQ) Quiz!
There are mobile business apps designed to make users more productive, more organized and more collaborative, and there is also an app to help guide public relations professionals in making ethical decisions. Ethical decision-making has never been easier thanks to PRSA taking the Code of Ethics mobile.
PRSA, in partnership with MSLGROUP, brought the Code to the palm of your hand. The PRSA Ethics app is available for free in Google Android Market and Apple’s App Store and can be accessed from iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
By Teresa N. Dougherty, APR,LederMark Communications, PRSA Colorado Board Member
