Ethics in Public Relations Society of America

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The Public Relations Society of America's Code of Ethics has a foundation that lies in the Member Statement of Professional Values. These Values include advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, and fairness. There are also six provisions involved in the PRSA Member Code of Ethics: Enhancing the Profession, Conflicts of Interest, Safeguarding Confidences, Disclosure of Information, Competition, and Free Flow Information. Of all the Principles and Values listed above, I find the most important of the list to be the Value of Fairness and the Principle of Free Flow Information. The Core Principle of Free Flow of Information states, "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" (PRSA 8). What this means is that the member should be honest in all proceedings, correct any erroneous information promptly, and be sure that the free flow of information is preserved and unbiased or unprejudiced, it is also included in the Free Flow Principle that all gifts are "nominal, legal, and infrequent" (PRSA 8). The Value of Fairness states that members should, "deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public" (PRSA 7). It also claims that it is the member's responsibility to respect opinions and most importantly support the right of free expression. This Value and Principle go hand in hand when evaluated on a level concerning the Members Code of Ethics. Both encompass the relationship the member holds with the public, clients, and others. While the Free Flow Principle states that integrity should be maintained, the Fairness Value indicates t... ... middle of paper ... ...r code of ethics, while amending only the enforcement mechanisms section. Or, rather than amending the enforcements mechanism section, I would add an enforcement mechanism section. I feel it is important for any group, specifically one based in the field of public relations to have a code of ethics. Without this important document it would be impossible to specify important points on what the members should and shouldn't do. In this particular case, the specifics are very important due to the fact that within these outlined features, there are laws that must constitute those of the United States of America. It is especially important to follow certain guidelines when dealing with government agencies. Works Cited Public Relations Society of America. PRSA Member Code of Ethics 2000. 19 November 2003.

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