By Kerry Tuttle
Ethics. It may sound like a boring concept that involves stuffy lectures about “making good decisions,” but it is actually quite the opposite. Our ethical principles are the backbone of PR and they set the foundation for our profession. They guide our morals and keep our decision making in check. Ethics is certainly not an ostentatious element of the public relations field and the subject of it rarely makes headlines unless the principles have been violated. However, it is something that we, as students, need to practice now so that when we get into the professional world we are already living and working by the official PRSA Code of Ethics.
As a young professional and student, how can you be ethical? PRSSA’s Progressions recently posted a blog on the subject and provided four basic principles to follow.
- Know the PRSA Code of Ethics (Guess what, there’s an app for that!)
- Be honest
- Protect the free flow of information
- Think strategically
September has been dubbed Ethics Awareness Month by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). It’s a fantastic reminder that as PR professionals, ethics should always guide our work. PRSSA National hosted a Twitter chat on September 24 regarding the topic. See what your fellow Scrippsters had to say:
It’s important as proud PR professionals to be ethical all twelve months out of the year, not just September. Check out PRSA’s Member Code of Ethics Pledge and stay ethical PR stars!