Ethics in public relations has long been a hot topic and issue for debate. Many critics think public relations ethics is an oxymoron. They think the average PR practitioner is little more than a charlatan and spin-doctor.

Frankly, I can understand why. Looking back at the roots of public relations to the “father” himself, Edward Bernays, there was little regard for ethics and the public during the nascent years of public relations. In fact, Bernays went to far as to call the era of 1850 to 1905 the “public be damned era.”

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. While dangerously treading the waters of falsehood, stereotypes certainly start with a degree of truth to them. Unfortunate though it may be, this is the foundation with which we have to work.

The public relations practitioner is under so much scrutiny, even the slightest misstep receives superfluous attention. It seems, for now at least, the public and the media focus much more attention on blunders than success stories.

So, how do we combat this image? What should the role of the contemporary PR practitioner be today?

Great strides have been made toward legitimizing the profession, and a backbone of ethics is essential to this continued progression. We now have large, powerful associations that have established codes of ethics as the guiding tenets of any PR practitioner. Through continued diligence and a commitment to ethics, the industry can only continue to grow and improve.

Within an organization or company, the role of the PR practitioner should be to lead the company down a moral and ethical path to success. Ultimately, the bottom line is what drives any business. This quest to operate in the black may entail following some less than reputable business practices. It is the moral obligation of any PR practitioner to right the ship and make sure the business or organization operates in an ethical manner.

This is certainly easier said than done, but associations like PRSA make this goal easier. These associations represent an invaluable resource and tool any PR practitioner can utilize. Using their codes of ethics as guideposts, the PR industry is poised to excel and shed its image as a seedy deceiver. To this end, a PR professional should be both an advocate for the public good, as well as an advocate for their respective organization’s goals.

How do we balance these two seemingly conflicting things? Perhaps a re-evaluation of how we perceive business is needed. Why is it that the public good and an organization’s goals are seen to be at odds? They don’t have to be. With a PR practitioner at the forefront who is guided by good ethics and morals, an organization can succeed while maintaining ethical business practices.

Following an ethical model stands to benefit everyone involved. The business can excel, the public doesn’t feel deceived and the PR industry can finally earn the respect it deserves.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on a presentation for my J452 class. After ruminating over a number of topics, I decided to focus my presentation on an interesting book called “Gaining Influence in Public Relations: The Role of Resistance in Practice” by Bruce K. Berger and Bryan H. Reber.

It’s a fascinating book, and I’d recommend it to anyone in the field. However, I realized there was a lot in the book I wouldn’t be able to fit into the presentation, so I thought this would be the perfect place to discuss it a bit further.

First, a basic premise of the book is essential. Berger and Reber contend power is the number one issue in the industry today. This, they conclude, essentially means holding a seat at the organization’s decision-making table. Easier said than done, to be sure.

So, how do they suggest this could be accomplished? Through resistance.

This seemed unorthodox at first, but further reading shed some light on the issue. Practitioners can use a number of resistance techniques, most of which fall under three broad categories: Advocacy, dissent and activism.

Advocacy is publicly representing an individual, organization, or an idea, and is one of the most common forms of resistance within an organization. It can be as simple as resistance to proposed policies, plans practices, procedures, ideologies and so forth. In this view, it happens nearly every day in every organization.

Dissent is expressing contradictory views about an organization in the work place. Berger and Reber identify three different kinds: direct or articulate dissent, antagonistic or latent dissent and displaced dissent.

Activism refers to efforts to influence public policy, organizational practices, social norms and so forth. Activism can rely on strong personal characteristics, building relationships and alliances, creating access to powerful individuals and using self-knowledge and moral consciousness.

Employing these strategies can be tricky, however. Stirring the pot can be dangerous in an organization, and an intimate knowledge of the power structure and politics is necessary. It’s best to know what one’s getting into before diving into the deep end unprepared. To that end, using these strategies should come with extreme caution.

As noted in the book, today’s delicate economy means companies are more prone to layoffs and high turnover rates, and further compounds the problem. Political astuteness, insight and savvy helps practitioners become more influential without upsetting the the delicate relationships within an organization.

Understanding key people who make decisions and establishing relationships with them is essential. The more you understand, the more people will take your counsel and in a position to truly influence the decision-making process.

Is resistance the best way to achieve these goals? Perhaps. At the very least it provides an interesting, alternative path to gaining influence, power, and ultimately success. However, these tactics require a deep understanding of the political and power structure of an organization.

Do you agree power is the number one issue in PR?

(polls)

Given the recent boom of social media and its increased importance in public relations, it’s appropriate that universities across the nation should cater their educational efforts to this transition.

In a Businessweek article, Dr. Elaine Young, an assistant professor at Champlain College, said students need to be prepared to begin their professional careers immediately after graduation, and for PR students, social media expertise is one of those requisite skills.

As Sally Falkow points out on her blog, The Proactive Report, most teens and young adults are quite adept with social media, but it’s for personal use. They have no professional experience with it.

Which makes me wonder, is my education focusing enough on social media?

That was certainly one of my complaints for J440. Don’t get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and it gave me many invaluable tools I’ll need to succeed in the industry. However, I couldn’t help but think that a little extra emphasis on social media would have been nice. It was seldom discussed, and when it was, it wasn’t with any detail.

J452, on the other hand, is quite different. It certainly has an extra emphasis on social media, which I find refreshing and encouraging. But is it enough? Sure, we’re taught the basics of blogging and twitter. We’re instructed on what language to use. The purpose of social media is made quite clear. We want to engage the community and start a relationship through honest communication. But, how do we actually use it?

For instance, let’s say I want create publicity for a promotional event that some company is putting on, but we haven’t established an online presence. How do I get followers? How do I generate buzz? I realize an individual or a company can’t arbitrarily choose which social media sites to utilize and expect followers and an established online presence. I know it takes time and work. But surely there are some steps to take that could expedite this process, right?

There’s little to no emphasis on strategy. Without a refined strategy, a company’s — or an individual’s — foray into the social media world may result in a blunder of epic proportions. A good strategy helps maintain control of the conversation, and guides it to a direction that ultimately benefits the company. Of course, there are many variables that are uncontrollable, but a good strategy can help keep those in check.

To that end, what are some of the negative aspects about social media? It seems as though it’s being touted as the ultimate resource, with little regard to its potential negative impacts. As the University of Oregon’s Tom Hagley puts it, public relations is about influencing behavior. Surely, this attempt to influence behavior could backlash and alienate the target audience.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly a fan of social media, and I think it’s doing great things for the profession. Moreover, we are taught to be honest, open and forthright in our social media. I just can’t help but thinking a little more depth would be nice. And I don’t want it all to come from J452. Frankly, I was a little overwhelmed at first with all the new social media sites I was becoming acquainted with. This education should be a cornerstone of all public relations classes, from J440 to J495, and be even distributed throughout.

I’m left to wonder: Will I receive any further education on the uses of social media? Or is it trial by fire from here on out?

Wow, where to start? As many of you already know, we’re in an exciting time for the evolution of public relations and journalism. No more can we, as contemporary journalists, ascribe to the antiquated paradigm that has defined the field for so long. As the industry moves increasingly into the digital medium, blogs have become an invaluable tool to nearly every PR practitioner. So, given my desire to be a PR practitioner, the next step is to, naturally, start a blog. And so, here I am.

This aforementioned transition to the digital age connotes an exciting time for the industry.  Social media has surged to the forefront of every PR practitioner’s mind (if it hasn’t, it should), and through this blog, I will follow the industry’s twists and turns as it continues to change — one tweet, post or comment at a time.