Ethics Month Feature: Lessons from the Ethics Jar

Posted by admin on Sep. 8, 2023  /  Subscribe 0

This is my Ethics Jar. It’s a tool to help students in my Intro to PR class explore sticky points about ethics.

The jar is full of advice from PRSA members across the country who once upon a time contributed their words of wisdom to an issue of PR Tactics. The students each draw a card and then share real-life moments when they needed the sage advice on their cards. 

PR has been called the organizational conscience. Whether it is or isn’t, accountability falls squarely in the lap of the brand’s protector. As Mark Harris of The Plank Center wrote, “At some point or another, we’re going to visit every corner of our business, occasionally in difficult circumstances.” Staring down those circumstances will take courage, a point validated by Baylor University Professor Marlene Neill, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA during an interview on the Ethical Voices podcast by Mark McClennan, APR. Dr. Neill shared that a study identified courage as the number one missing skill in the PR workforce. To those early in their careers, she said, courage can be particularly intimidating.

Defending the truth is noble, but it’s complicated. I discovered this when a former employer took a very public position against a pay raise proposal for police officers and fire fighters. Our media hotline blew up as the opposition painted us as the local villain, which of course we expected. Then one day, it got weird. A coworker warned us to hide our nametags when we left the office because, reportedly, we were being watched by the police. We trudged on fairly and honestly, explaining that the city couldn’t afford the raises yet. Eventually, both sides found a compromise. The lesson learned? Truth is not a popularity contest. Sometimes, the ethical choice is not just a matter of right and wrong but also having courage to weather the storm. 

That’s why it is critical to reflect on the PRSA Code of Ethics. As part of PRSA’s ethics month, we’d also like to share another resource—“The Page Principles.” These seven principles evolved from the speeches and interviews of Arthur W. Page, one of the pioneers of our profession. He became the first-ever vice president of public relations at a major corporation when he agreed to jump the fence from publishing to join AT&T in 1927. Ninety-six years later, these humble sentences have not aged out:

•           Tell the truth.

•           Prove it with action.

•           Listen to stakeholders.

•           Manage for tomorrow.

•           Conduct public relations as if the whole enterprise depends on it.

•           Realize an enterprise's true character is expressed by its people. 

•           Remain calm, patient and good-humored.

If you had an Ethics Jar, what sage advice would you put in it? More importantly, how would you respond if faced with these challenges? Though hypothetical, this exercise leaves students feeling humbled by the gravity of the decisions they may have to make professionally, yet less isolated because of the group discussion. 

No matter where you are in your career, it’s important to think and talk about ethics. Ethics Month may not be a festive occasion, but communicators can build a peer support network by leaning in to PRSA and becoming involved locally. To connect with the Dallas chapter, just email [email protected]. You can even borrow my Ethics Jar.

Lisa Vasquez, APR, is president of the Dallas chapter of PRSA as well as vice president of advancement and adjunct professor of public relations at Collin College. 

Return to list