The role of ethics in public relations

Guide No. 5

By: Kelsey Marklund, Account Executive at The Agency | @TheAgencyKelsey

The month of September is known to the industry as ‘PR Ethics Month;’ a time of year when professionals take a moment to reflect and refresh on the ethical issues our field faces, and how we can make better decisions for ourselves and our clients.

Ethics are a set of moral principles that guide our decisions and actions within society, defining right from wrong, good from bad. Ethics in public relations are constantly challenged, be it by clients or by the public. Stereotypes that have been placed on the industry since its inception have created the perception that PR is about “spin” and “image management; that altering or concealing the truth to benefit the client is what we do. Of course, as any true public relations professional would know, this is not the case.

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Screen shots from The Next Web, PR Week, and International Business Times

However, there is hope! Many scholarly works and industry leaders out there actually refer to public relations professionals as the “conscience” of an organization, recognizing that we play an important role in leadership and management of moral dilemmas and business conduct. As the people on the front line communicating with our clients’ audiences, it’s our duty to follow our moral compass and to convey messages that meet not only the ethical standards of the industry, but our own beliefs and values as well.

Here are 10 ethical PR practices to remember, via The Plank Center, to help keep you on top of you ethical game. You can also find the Canadian Public Relations Society Code of Ethics here.


What ethical dilemmas have you been faced with while working in public relations? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter at @PRTheAgency.

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