Ask an average person to describe a public relations (PR) practitioner, and their reply might include the term “spin doctor.” Early in my career, I held that same misconception; however, as I learned more about the industry’s core values, it became clear that ethical PR professionals are quite the opposite.
In researching the origin of the “spin doctor” stereotype, I came across various explanations, including one that is traceable back to medieval times: the metaphorical usage of the word “spin” references the act of spinning yarn into fabric and “fabricating a narrative,” and the word “doctor” alludes to the deliberate “altering or tampering” by a skilled individual like a doctor.
While there might be exceptions, this has certainly not been my experience with most PR practitioners. In fact, I served three terms as ethics chair on my local Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) chapter board. During that period, I paid especially close attention and found that the industry is overwhelmingly comprised of true professionals with strong ethical compasses.
Upholding the Code of Ethics
Because PR representatives are human beings, it’s plausible for even those with the best intentions to occasionally encounter blurred lines that could derail their better judgment. To help promote ethical decision making and deter any intentional or unintentional misconduct, PRSA published a Code of Ethics. While it serves as a north star for PRSA members, the publication is available and accessible to all via their public website, alongside a guide outlining the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in PR and other educational materials. I’ve found these resources to be useful in many lines of business, and particularly helpful in regulated industries like finance and wealth management–where I’ve spent the majority of my career.
The values outlined in the PRSA Code of Ethics are advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty and fairness. They set the industry standard for ethical PR and what it means to uphold the integrity of the profession. The provisions and guidelines for the code cover responsibilities that align with the free flow of information, competition, disclosure, safeguarding confidences, avoiding conflicts of interest and enhancing the profession. While these standards might appear straightforward, PR practitioners could struggle to uphold them for several reasons.
Here are a few instances that could leave PR experts or their clients vulnerable to ethical lapses, potentially exposing them to other consequences.
The Predictable AI Blunder
With the emergence of AI, unfortunately, there has been an alarmingly high rate of misinformation and disinformation spread across multiple communication channels. There has also been rampant misuse of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc., in many professions, including PR.
PR professionals at all levels could easily fall into the trap of side-stepping their ethical obligation to use AI responsibly. This includes spreading unvalidated AI-generated content, failing to engage human oversight to refine the end product or not revealing the involvement of AI in work as a matter of transparency.
While a resource like AI can aid in efficiency, it must be treated as a mechanism to assist PR professionals with their work while they apply their human expertise to verify, analyze and validate it. Even ChatGPT will tell you that! For reference, Lauren K. Howard, an accredited PR professional, interviewed ChatGPT, asking it several questions, including whether AI is good for the PR profession. The answer? “Yes, if used ethically and responsibly. The key is embracing AI as a complement to human expertise, not a replacement for it.”
Heeding this advice aligns with PRSA’s ethical values and provisions of honesty, expertise and enhancing the profession.
The Rookie Mistake
Upon receiving a media inquiry about an incident with the potential to adversely impact stakeholders, an unseasoned or unprepared PR representative could easily panic and either deny or downplay the state of affairs. Not only might this put others at risk, but it could also escalate the situation, resulting in heightened scrutiny while compromising their ethical standards and destroying their credibility.
I equate this to a parent suspecting their children are hiding something, and upon asking what’s going on, they are met with the innocent plea of, “nothing.” I don’t know many parents who would accept that and let it go. The same stands for journalists or shareholders who are seeking answers.
In this case, the denial or refusal to share the details disrupts the free flow of information and also bypasses the opportunity to take back control of the story by addressing the issue and demonstrating a commitment to correcting the situation.
Of course, there are always exceptions, and sometimes it’s not prudent to comment for legal, safety, privacy or confidentiality reasons. And that’s ok. In these instances, many PR professionals would suggest sharing a statement acknowledging the inquiry while diplomatically offering the rationale for why they are unable to comment further.
Taking this approach goes a long way toward nurturing relationships with reputable media outlets and sends a message of willingness to collaborate, while also upholding ethical PR guidelines.
The Inadequately Informed PR Pro
Clients, take note: Keeping information from a PR professional is a bad idea. For them to effectively do their jobs, they need to know “the good,” “the bad” and “the ugly.” Especially the ugly! The earlier they have this information, the sooner they can put a plan in place to mitigate the damage. If a company leader feels they cannot confide in their PR representative, they should make a staffing or agency change–immediately. It’s critical to establish a trusting relationship with the individual or entity that arguably holds the greatest ability to amplify, protect or restore a company’s brand name.
Not sharing all the details with a PR pro can put them in a situation where they are forced to unwittingly compromise their good name and contradict several values and provisions in the Code of Ethics, including disclosure and the free flow of information.
Debunking Stereotypes by Adhering to Ethical Standards
Contrary to medieval stereotypes, there’s no knitting, fabricating or doctoring involved in ethical public relations. Qualified PR practitioners have built their careers around ethical standards. They are gifted with discretion about what to share, when, with whom and on what terms. They can guide companies through some of the worst circumstances–but only if they know exactly what they are dealing with.
Arming PR professionals with the details they need to make ethical decisions, trusting them to appropriately disseminate sensitive information and supporting their responsible usage of AI establishes a strong foundation for an ethical PR relationship.
Whether navigating a crisis, shaping a narrative or responsibly sharing information, ethical PR practitioners demonstrate a strong commitment to upholding their professional obligations to their clients, the media and themselves.
Ethical PR isn’t about spin—it’s about promoting and protecting clients’ brands and keeping key stakeholders well-informed. Credible journalists will reciprocate in acting ethically, creating a mutually respectful relationship with the PR pros committed to upholding the truth.
Jill Casey Pintor is a financial content writer at StreetCred PR, a public relations agency focused on the financial services sector.