Public relations practitioners, just like any other professional endeavor, necessitate a set of guidelines in their decision-making processes which abide by a set of standards that meet ethical, moral and legal rules. As such, one of the strategies that public relations practitioners might use to make ethical decisions in any organization that they are actively involved in is to familiarize themselves with the Code of Ethics that is governed by professional public relations organizations, like the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), among others . As emphasized, “some codes strive to offer guidance of a practical, professional nature toward agency practitioners (such as PRSA), while other codes attempt to identify general moral principles of ethical behavior, such as the focus on dignity, respect, and human rights” (Bowen, 2007, par. 15). Thus, knowing and adhering to the code of ethics govern decision-making of public relations practitioners.
Another strategy is to keep abreast of current unethical actions or behavior reported in the field of public relations and to ensure that these unethical practices are abated and ultimately prevented from happening. To assist in decision-making processes involving challenging ethical scenarios, public relations practitioners must be able to balance the interests of clients, other stakeholders, and the society, at large. It was disclosed that “ideally, a perfect symmetry of service to both client and society is attained: the highest possible ethical standard of operation for public relations communication” .
Finally, it also helps to impose stringent sanctions for violations of code of ethics. Just like conformity to policies and procedures are expected from all employees in an organization through a code of discipline or code of conduct, public relations practitioners who are guided by the code of ethics must also be aware that sanctions or penalties are imposed for violating these standards. To assist in observance of ethical standards, a good set of personal and professional values must be inculcated to all stakeholders to ensure that decisions make comply with the highest standards of professionalism, as guided by ethical rules.
References
Bowen, S. (2007, October 30). Ethics and Public Relations. Retrieved from instituteforpr.org: http://www.instituteforpr.org/topics/ethics-and-public-relations/
Lieber, P. (2003, August). Ethics in Public Relations: Gauging Ethical Decision-Making Patterns of Public Relations Practitioners. Retrieved from Louisiana State University: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-0707103-111615/unrestricted/Lieber_thesis.pdf
Public Relations Society of America. (2013). Ethical Guidance for Public Relations Practitioners. Retrieved from prsa.org: http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics
