Six Resources to Continue the Ethics Conversation
Six Resources to Continue the Ethics Conversation
PRSA celebrated another Ethics Month this past September, and our chapter marked the occasion with a great panel discussion called Ethics: Asked and Answered.
Thank you to everyone who attended and a special thank you to our esteemed panelists, Denise Blackburn-Gay, APR, Fellow PRSA, Dave Wilson, and Betsy McLarney, for their helpful anecdotes and insightful responses.
But Ethics is a year-round consideration for PR practitioners. Here are some resources from PRSA to help you learn more about ethics, navigate ethical questions, and promote the important role of ethics in the public relations profession.
According to PRSA, The Code is designed to be a useful guide for PRSA members as they carry out their ethical responsibilities. This document is designed to anticipate and accommodate, by precedent, ethical challenges that may arise. The PRSA Code of Ethics applies to PRSA members but is useful for all practitioners.
Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) Position Papers
The BEPS Position Papers are brief, actionable documents on specific and common situations where they may need more guidance than the Code provides. These Papers include Framework, BEPS’s Position, Intersection with Code of Ethics, and a Recommendation.
Currently, there are 10 Position Papers posted on the Ethics webpage of the PRSA website:
- “Pay for Play”
- Ethics & social media
- Plagiarism
- Paid Spokespersons and Influencers
- Representing Front Groups
- Overstating Fees or Compensation
- Native Advertising & Sponsored Content
- AI and Leadership Accountabilities
- Social Media as a Reflection of Majority Opinion
- Information Leaks
Public Relations Ethics Quotient
BEPS created this short quiz to “pressure test” your public relations ethics quotient. These 11 questions will help you better understand the Code of Ethics and its applications in our daily lives.
Ethics in Communications Community
This PRSA community offers several ways to connect with fellow members, share expertise, and learn from leaders from around the PR profession. Here are some of the tools and content available to members.
Discussion Board
The discussion board allows you to review others’ comments, post your own questions, and participate in discussions.
Blogs
Community members post blogs on a wide range of ethics-related topics — from Artificial Intelligence and False Information to COVID-19 and other current events.
2021 Webinars
These monthly webinars feature panelists from BEPS and other industry professionals on topics such as honesty, loyalty, expertise, and fairness.
Let us know if you’ve come across any other ethical resources in the comments. Let’s keep the ethics conversation going!
