Ethics on Demand and on Call
Ethics, the word evokes a response. Positive or negative public relations professionals, indeed almost everyone, have a reaction to the word and, more importantly, everyone knows it is important. In the abstract ethics is easy – Do the Right Thing. However, in the immediacy of a crisis or the candor of a strategic planning meeting the reality of ethics and more critically ethical decisions becomes much more complex.
While PR professionals encounter a wide range of ethical dilemmas there are three ethical scenarios that form the majority of problems. Let’s examine each one.
1) "Need it now versus need it right"
The immediacy of media deadlines has accelerated the news cycle and created significant pressure to respond to a story before the media, bloggers, or some other source interprets and frames a news event. Increasingly, leaks inside many organizations also add to the problem as companies seek to control the initial news story. This has resulted in news stories being released before the vetting process has been completed. There is little time to be sure the information is right and a whole lot of pressure to get the information out before other media have a chance to frame a story.
As detailed in Points 4 and 5 of the FPRA Code of Ethics, it is important to be sure the information is accurate BEFORE the story is released. Of course, this is easier said than done when an editor is calling at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon about a damaging story and senior management has left for the weekend. At that moment, PR professionals know that it is too late too consult the Code of Ethics, training and experience must deal with the situation in real time.
2) "Show me the money"
How does your voice break through the loud cacophony of voices seeking to be heard? Unfortunately, PR professionals are faced with the challenge of “gifting” their stories. Increased pressure to be heard has led some companies to use resources (financial, gifts) as a method of influencing the amount and content of coverage. While you could not find anyone that suggests this is done, publicly. Privately, the reality is that some people use inducements to increase exposure, positioning, and even editorial content.
Theory suggests this is such a bad idea that is almost a “no brainer”. The reality of getting heard, however, creates such stress that some PR executives will look for an easy way out of the crowd. Using inducements to facilitate coverage is easy but ultimately much more costly both personally and professionally.
3) "Trust me, I am your friend"
With the number of media outlets increasing there is a tendency to "reward" the friendly ones and "punish" the unfriendly ones. Every PR professional knows that not all media outlets are equal and not all reporters report just the facts. The reality is that some are more positive and some more negative. In that reality it is natural to seek out those with a more favorable attitude and predisposition to a story than those who will “go negative”. This creates a difficult, challenging media environment and an "us versus them" mentality. Putting the story out there for everyone can be stressful but, ultimately, more successful as media come to know they all have an equal opportunity to get the story.
Organizations like FPRA provide a forum for professionals to discuss these critical issues. In addition, the Code of Ethics is a useful framework considering professional behavior and an encouraging declaration to media that they are working with professionals who they can trust.
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Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business Professor of Marketing and Ethics Mark Johnston has been ranked by the Journal of Business Research as one of the most influential market researchers of the past 15 years, based on the number of times his articles have been cited in a dozen of the nation’s leading business journals. He has extensive experience providing media commentary on television and in print articles.
