Getting comfortable with uncomfortable conversations

The public relations (PR) industry needs a bigger focus on the topic of ethics. Public relations and communications agencies, whether self-regulated or overseen by professional industry bodies, need to adhere to an industry code of ethics that is underpinned by values such as honesty, fair-mindedness, respect, integrity and frankness.

When the UK’s Public Relations & Communications Association’s (PRCA) professional practices committee found Bell Pottinger in breach of its Professional Charter & Codes of Conduct in 2017, the decision to terminate the agency’s membership from the body was unanimous.  

Bell Pottinger had made the indefensible mistake of exploiting racial divisions in SA and was found guilty of contravening two PRCA professional charter clauses and two PRCA public affairs and lobbying code of conduct clauses.

While the PRCA is not a local industry body, the effect of Bell Pottinger’s targeted campaign was felt locally, with growing calls for an ethics watchdog. Local industry body the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (Prisa) called for greater regulation of the industry.

The damage done to the greater communications industry was significant, leading to widespread suspicion that haunted agencies as they pursued new business opportunities or worked to retain their existing client bases. In the wake of the debacle, PR agencies were compelled to focus on their respective micro-environments and work hard to regain trust.

The Bell Pottinger “stain” is an important reminder that the industry needs to get comfortable with having uncomfortable discussions. It’s also a reminder that the ethics conversation needs to remain high on the agenda, especially given demands for more transparency.

The moral red line

The question now being asked is just where the PR and communications industry needs to draw a moral red line between how agencies secure coverage and the messages they seed amid the symbiotic relationship that exists between PR agencies and media outlets.

PR agencies need to understand both the brands they represent and the ethical policies of the industry at large. The industry is morally obliged to build fair and honest relationships with the media on behalf of clients. Coverage should never be paid for, and journalists should not be placed under undue pressure to squash stories or adopt a particular angle. The industry exists to persuade and influence, but never coerce or solicit coverage in unethical ways. At the same time, an agency needs to be able to walk away from clients that are not aligned to its values.

Agency employees need to be encouraged to speak out if they have questions about the ethics of a particular situation. In a recent PRCA panel discussion with Generation Zs on their thoughts about PR ethics, a comment was made that there has to be a balance between the professional you and the personal you.

There is debate about the extent to which employees should bring their personal ethics to work. It is important to respect each other’s personal ethics. Should an employee be required to work on an alcohol brand if they don't consume alcohol, or work for a political party that they don't support?

When agency leaders hire people, they don't just hire them for their technical skills, but also for their values, cultural fit and diversity in thinking. Employees are thus critical in shaping the team and agency’s understanding of where the lines are drawn.

Another important insight from the PRCA Generation Z panel discussion was the issue of ethics being taught as a topic at university and other tertiary institutions. But that tends to be where the discussion ends.

That needs to change, and we need to keep the ethics discussion on the agenda through internal and external training courses, industry masterclasses, regular content pieces and workshopping guidelines to ensure that the rules are top of mind, memorable and understandable.

Topical subjects like greenwashing and fake news need to be part of the conversation. With the public a lot savvier about the claims brands make, a mere whiff of inauthenticity can place an organisation at risk. Citizen journalism means everyone with a cellphone can report on something. Those who are determined enough will dig beneath a brand’s narrative.

On International Women’s Day this year, a gender pay gap bot was created. For every brand that tweeted International Women’s Day messages in the UK using #IWD2022, the bot pulled public information to reveal if there was a gender pay gap at that organisation. Important to note here is that in the UK, any organisation with more than 250 employees has to share its pay data, so the information is readily available. It was particularly embarrassing for the brands who tweeted positive “women punt” messages to be publicly called out for their gender pay gaps in stats.

PR leaders need to equip C-suite-level professionals with the necessary data, insights and advice about their market, media and consumer sentiment that affects their businesses and business decisions and warn them of the reputational damage associated with “greenwashing” or “woke-washing”.

An ethics month is a great start, but we need more than the PRCA’s one month in a year to keep this conversation alive. Critically, we need to create spaces for our teams to speak up about issues that affect them, add it to our training agendas, revise our codes of conduct and educate our clients about what we won't do, not just about what we will do.

Cheryl Reddy is the CEO at Eclipse Communications. PRCA has launched an annual ethics month in September with the aim of keeping the topic on the agenda for students and industry professionals.