Ethics Moment: Embracing Change While Upholding PR Principles
Posted on May. 16, 2025 / Subscribe 0
By Holly S. Ingram, APR – Cincinnati Chapter Ethics Director
PRSA Cincinnati’s marquee learning and networking event of the year, Media Day 2025, is right around the corner on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. The theme, “PR Pivots,” inspired me to share a few notes on how our PRSA Code of Ethics intersects with how our industry is evolving as we continue our commitment to serving our many publics with honesty, fairness, transparency and accountability.
As pros, we depend heavily on our contacts in the media, influencers, and new technologies that help us interact directly with our publics. In our daily work, this means that PRSA members must be mindful of our commitment to the PRSA Code of Ethics Provision of Conduct on Free Flow of Information.
The Core Principle: Protecting and advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information is essential to serving the public interest and contributing to informed decision-making in a democratic society.
The guidelines that PRSA offers to members to maintain the integrity of relationships and aid the free flow of information include:
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- Be honest and accurate in all your communications.
Consider whether your effort is with a media contact, your clients, your management, with influencers or directly on social media. If you’re using the wonderful tools of A.I., be sure to check your facts and disclose if content is generated by A.I.
Tool suggestions:
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- See this News Literacy Project infographic for hints on how to check your facts and recognize and understand misinformation on social media.
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Or use FactCheck.org, a frequently updated source from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
2. Preserve the integrity of the process of communication.
Make sure you understand the rules of engagement with different audiences, social platforms, within your client’s industry or with content and influencers. Get to know your legal counsel, whether on-staff or out-of-house, and know when to consult them.
Tool suggestions:
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- The FTC’s Endorsement Guides: Being Up-Front With Consumers – what you need to know about disclosing paid influencer endorsements, testimonials and more (source: FTC.gov)
- About Fact-Checking on Facebook, Instagram and Threads – from Meta’s Business Center, see what policies and programs exist to identify, review and take action on misinformation. (source: Meta)
3. Preserve the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring the gifts are nominal, legal, and infrequent.
Consult your organization’s policy on gifting (receiving or giving) and understand government limits that apply when working with any government agency.
Tool suggestion:
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- Reference this summary of Ethics Rules in Gifting from the U.S. Department of Commerce for gifts between employees and from outside sources.
At the core, your professional ethics are about doing the right thing, minimizing risks for your client/organization, and safeguarding your reputation as pro.
#EthicsMatter
Join us for Media Day!
Get ready for Media Day 2025, Cincinnati PRSA’s premier annual conference for public relations, communications, and media professionals. It’s Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at Hotel Celare, 9 a.m. -5 p.m. Registration is now open. This year’s theme, "PR Pivots", explores how the PR industry is rapidly evolving—whether navigating new technologies, shifting audience behaviors, or adapting to real-time media cycles.
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