PRSA VALUES AND ETHICS

Jamie Reed, APR, Ethics Chair

Our national PRSA organization has long espoused a statement of professional values and a code of ethical conduct to guide its members in their professional work. Here is a quick refresher on those values for our PRSA Kansas chapter members:

• Advocacy – We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.
• Honesty – We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.
• Expertise – We acquire and responsibly use specialized knowledge and experience. We advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and education. We build mutual understanding, credibility, and relationships among a wide array of institutions and audiences.
• Independence – We provide objective counsel to those we represent. We are accountable for our actions.
• Loyalty – We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest.
• Fairness – We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression.

As ethical professionals, we believe that:

• 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.
• Promoting healthy and fair competition among professionals preserves an ethical climate while fostering a robust business environment.
• Open communication fosters informed decision making in a democratic society. (Disclosure of information.)
• Client trust requires appropriate protection of confidential and private information. (Safeguarding confidences.)
• Avoiding real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest builds the trust of clients, employers, and the publics.
• Public relations professionals work constantly to strengthen the public’s trust in the profession. (Enhancing the profession.)

For the full statement of professional values and codes of ethical conduct, visit: https://www.prsa.org/about/prsa-code-of-ethics. Throughout the year, we will be taking a deep dive into these values and exploring how they can make us better counselors and communicators!