Ethics of Public Relations Professionalism
Meaning of Ethics
n “That branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, respect to rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of motives and ends of such actions.”
n By dictionary definitions ethics and morality are inter-changeable. Both are concerned with conduct that is right or wrong, according to the accepted standards or principles.
Ethics in any profession is governed by two factors:
n A code of professional ethics developed by a professional body
n Conscience and grooming of human being.
Code of Ethics and code of conduct for Public Relations
n In the United States Public Relations first developed as a profession, a code of Professional Standards was adopted as early as 1954 and subsequently revised in 1959, 1963, 1977 to meet requirements of situation.
n Public Relations Society of America
Public Relations Society of America
n Code of Professional Standards for the practice of Public Relations adopted and effective April 29, 1977.
n We Pledge:
n To conduct ourselves professionally, with truth, accuracy, fairness and responsibility to the public
n To improve our individual competence and advance the knowledge and proficiency of the profession through continuing research and education.
n And to adhere to the articles of the code of professional Standards for the practice of Public Relations as adopted by the Governing Assembly of the Society.
Articles of the Code:
1. A member shall deal fairly with clients or employers, past and present with fellow practitioners and the general public.
2. A member shall conduct his or her professional life in accordance with the public interest.
3. A member shall adhere to truth, accuracy and generally accepted standards of good taste.
4. A member shall not represent conflicting or competing interests without the express consent of those concerned.
5. A member shall safeguard the confidence of both present and former clients or employers.
6. A member shall not engage in any practice which tends to corrupt the integrity of channels of communication or the process of government.
7. A member shall not intentionally disseminate false or misleading information and is obligated to use care to avoid communication of false or misleading information.
8. A member shall not propose to a prospective client or employer that his fee or other compensation be contingent on the achievement of certain results; nor shall he enter into any agreement to the same effect.
9. In performing services for a client or employer, a member shall not accept fees, commissions or any other valuable consideration in connection with those services from anyone other than his client or employer without the express consent of his client or employer, given after a full disclosure of the facts.
10. A member shall not intentionally injure the professional reputation or practice of another member.
International Public Relations Association (IPRA)
n The International Public Relations Association was formally established in London
n Today IPRA constitutes the international forum of public relations practitioners worldwide.
n IPRA s engaged in promoting exchange of information and co-operation in every sector of the profession and building opportunities for professional development.
n The Code of Athens as the IPRA General Assembly adopted it in Athens
Code of Athens
n Each member shall Endeavour:
1. To contribute to the achievement of the moral and cultural conditions enabling human beings to reach their full stature and enjoy the indefeasible rights to which they are entitled under the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’.
2. To establish communications patterns and channels which, foster the free flow of essential information, which make each member in the society in which he lives feel that he is being kept informed, and also gives him an awareness of his own personal involvement and responsibility, and of his solidarity with other members.
3. To bear in mind that because of the relationship between his profession and the public, his conduct- even in private- will have an impact on the way in which the profession as a whole is appraised.
4. To respect, in the course of his professional duties, the moral principles and the rule of the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’
5. To pay due regards to, and uphold, human dignity, and to recognize the right of each individual to judge for himself.
6. To encourage the moral, psychological and intellectual conditions for dialogue in its true sense, and to recognize the right of these parties involved to state their case and express their views.
n Shall undertake:
7. To conduct himself always and in all circumstances in such a manner as to deserve and secure the confidence of those with whom he comes into contact.
8. To act, in all circumstances, in such a manner as to take account of the respective interests of the parties involved: both the interests of the organization which he serves and the interests of the publics concerned.
9. To carry out his duties with integrity, avoiding language likely to lead to ambiguity or misunderstanding and to maintain loyalty to his clients or employers, whether past or present.
n Shall refrain from
10. Subordinating the truth to other requirements.
11. Circulating information which is not based on established and ascertainable facts.
12. Taking part in any venture or undertaking which is unethical or dishonest or capable of impairing human dignity and integrity.
13. Using any ‘manipulative’ methods or techniques designed to create subconscious motivations which the individual cannot control of his own free will and so cannot be held accountable for the action taken on them.
Public Relations Society of India
n The Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) is the national association of public relations practitioners and communication specialists in India
n It functions primarily for professional development.
n It also maintains close links with the academic bodies for promotion of public relations as a subject of management studies.
n PRSI came into being as an informal body in 1958 with its headquarters in Mumbai.
n The genesis of the Society in kolkata can be traced to 1965 when Sanest Lahiri, Shanker Mitres, R. P. Gupta, Prasanta Sanyal, J. M. Kaul and other pioneers of the profession formed a nucleus, known as the
Public Relations Circle.
Public Relations Circle.
n However, this was formally merged with the national body in 1968 to strengthen the public relations movement on an all-India basis.
n The National Council, the apex body of the PRSI, annually organizes All India Public Relations Conferences to highlight its contemporary relevance.
n It has a quarterly journal 'Public Relations' which seeks to promote the cause of public relations by bringing to its readers news and articles on public relations in India
n The Society has 30 chapters spread all over the country. Members of the Society, numbering over 3000 are drawn from the private sector and public sector corporations as well as from the government, non-profit organizations and academic bodies.
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