Public Relations Ethics

Truthfulness of Information

The public relations industry makes a variety of statements about a commitment to supply information that is accurate and honest and known not to be false. Some of these statements go further to require that public relations professionals make an effort to confirm the accuracy of the information they are communicating and to correct any misinformation that is transmitted.

The ethical gray areas include what might be termed “lying by omission” or “being factually correct while leading to a misimpression.” In both cases, there may be a commitment to “telling the truth” but perhaps not the whole truth. Indeed, only a slice of the truth might be presented, and this might be done in a fashion that knowingly leads the audience to a conclusion that they might not have reached if they had the “full story.”

Such activities are very common in public relations (as they are in marketing), since public relations can involve “spin”—that is, finding the best thing to say and avoiding discussing the negatives. In some cases of regulated communications, such as FDA regulation of pharmaceutical information, there are both guidelines and a watchdog over this parsing of the truth. But even with regulation, the line between acceptable and unacceptable can be muddy.

Relations with the Media

The public relations profession has a symbiotic relationship with the media. Public relations people want their messages and stories in the press, and journalists need information and access.

In some parts of the world, direct payments to journalists for press coverage are a matter of course. In most countries, however, such “pay-for-play” practices are forbidden by the ethical codes of the media. However, there are some subtle distinctions in what pay may mean. Many—but not all—media outlets forbid reporters from accepting any travel reimbursement or entertainment from a company or an agency. But reporters can be invited to speak at conferences, sometimes for honoraria; and moonlighting reporters have been known to accept writing or video-editing jobs through companies that they own.

Most media also create an institutional barrier between their desire to sell advertising to a company and the company's desire for good media coverage. Nonetheless, many public relations professionals know when purchasing of ads will help with favorable coverage, and many media are now offering advertising in “special issue sections” (e.g., a report on environmental issues) where advertisers also will get coverage.

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