The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Ethics Council has launched its annual global #PRCAethics Month in September, under a thematic banner, “The PoweR of Ethical PR.”

A range of free-of-charge #PRCAethics educational and advocacy content throughout September will spur renewed ethics conversations, centred on issues impacting the global PR industry.

News

PRCA Ethics Council Launch Global #PRCAethics Month

ICCO #POWERofETHICS Walk the Talk

Helsinki Declaration Advocate

Blogs

Brands and their Responses to Social Issues

Is Ethical PR a Myth?

What Do We Think About “Fear-Based Marketing”?

PRCA Ethics Month: The Power of Ethical PR

In the world of digital disruption and a highly diverse Asia Pacific region, what role does Public Relations & Communications play in building responsible, ethical businesses?

Events

PR & AI Ethics with Katie King

PR, Ethics & The Gender Pay Gap

The #HelsinkiEthics2020 Conference

 

Webinars & Training

Tackling Cultures of Ethical Non-Accountability

 

The Message from the Global PR Industry

  1. Strong ethics in communications builds business with greater trust, understanding and reliability, especially in these volatile times. Weak ethics does the opposite.
  2. Ethical communications is fundamental to build trust. This is never more important than when a crisis hits. When there are threats to public safety and/or the risk of serious reputation damage and financial loss, communicators must be responsible and accountable. Honesty and openness, even where ambiguity and uncertainty exist, is crucial and, as we’ve seen in recent times, we have a duty of care to advise and educate the public by presenting them with the truth. Words, and how we say them, matter.
  3. Ethics is a structure of rules for appropriate behavior, in context. Do you know the rules for PR? How well do you know the PRCA code? If there are no rules and no one is accountable it’s like the wild west. Don’t be a cowboy
  4. It simply isn’t adequate to know PR Ethics in theory alone. Knowledge isn’t compliance. Applying ethics daily – whether during each minute of an urgent crisis or over months of methodical strategic planning – all require PR Teams to command Ethics knowledge as well as self-determination to make accountable decisions… and to insist that others do the same.

How you can get involved

Knowledge sharing

  • Send us your blogs and case studies about ethical practice and the power of PR in ethical causes, focusing views on misinformation, malformation, disinformation and fake news.
  • Send us your insights on the latest ethical challenges or campaigns you are proud of in PR.

Education

  • Organise or collaborate with PRCA SEA on an ethics awareness event/webinar.

Be an advocate!

In October 2017, ICCO associations were part of a project to define the 10-basic principles of ethical practice that PR professionals should hold themselves accountable to. We urge members that in addition to abiding by our Code Of Conduct, to also become a Helsinki Declaration Advocate.