I was giving some thought the other day to the ethical decisions I will undoubtedly have to make in PR. Rather than be motivated by the economic purposes in marketing, I hope to enter the field by communicating honestly and openly. That isn’t to say marketing executives are immoral, but I would prefer the role of a communicator to that of a salesman.
Now I know there’s a reality to the situation. As with any profession, whether PR or marketing, ethics will always come into play. Should one sell a product, knowing it is harmful? Should one inform the public it is harmful? As I’m sure there are bad apples in every field, I don’t subscribe to the notion that PR representatives bend the truth to serve their organization. While I’m sure some do, I believe the modern communications field is evolving into something better.
Thinking about the whole concept leads me to two conclusions:
1) In choosing to head into either a corporate or government area of PR, ethics will always be important. Unlike marketing, I will be responsible for giving a public all information, good or bad.
2) If the information is bad, in that it could injure my organization, it might have to be provided nonetheless, so as to maintain an honest image. Although I wonder, who has the ultimate say about what information is released? The communicator, or the head of the organization?
