Doing the Right Thing

Doing the Right Thing

by | Sep 22, 2020 | Food for thought, National, Professional Development

September 2020

Compiled by PRSA Kansas Board Member Jamie Reed

The provisions of ethical conduct defined by PRSA – advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information, safeguarding confidences, building trust by revealing information needed to make a responsible decision – have never seemed more relevant than in the era of COVID-19.

As we work to continue counseling our leaders and clients six months into this pandemic, Linjuan Rita Men’s article on “Wartime Leadership Communication: How Should CEOs Communicate During the COVID-19 Pandemic?” (instituteforpr.org) has insightful tips for us as public relations professionals and those we advise:

  • Be transparent. Share information in a frequent and timely manner and be honest about the true impact to your organization or business. Listen – really listen – to employees as they share their opinions and concerns.
  • Convey authenticity. Leaders should admit there is no playbook for a pandemic, and that they have many of the same worries as other employees. Yes, there will be a need for some tough decisions, but the human side of leaders is what will resonate with employees.
  • Show empathy. Demonstrate a sense of caring with phrases like “I feel you,” “those emotions are legitimate and understandable” or “we are in this together.”
  • Demonstrate optimism. Foster hope and gratitude by focusing on some of the silver linings of the pandemic, such as adapting to new ways of working and connecting and a stronger sense of community.

September is PRSA’s Ethics Month. For a refresher on the PRSA code of ethical principles, visit: www.prsa.org/about/ethics/prsa-code-of-ethics. 

PRSA National has announced a statement on alternative facts.

by | Mar 31, 2017 | National, Professional Development

Truth is the foundation of all effective communications. By being truthful, we build and maintain trust with the media and our customers, clients and employees. As professional communicators, we take very seriously our responsibility to communicate with honesty and accuracy.

The Public Relations Society of America, the nation’s largest communications association, sets the standard of ethical behavior for our 22,000 members through our Code of Ethics. Encouraging and perpetuating the use of alternative facts by a high-profile spokesperson reflects poorly on all communications professionals.

PRSA strongly objects to any effort to deliberately misrepresent information. Honest, ethical professionals never spin, mislead or alter facts. We applaud our colleagues and professional journalists who work hard to find and report the truth.

– Jane Dvorak, APR, Fellow PRSA, Chair of the Society for 2017