As a public relations professional, there are a few words when uttered by those outside the industry that are truly cringe worthy – words like “flack,” “fluff,” “hack,” and the dreaded, “spin.”

Anytime a potential client says they’d like us to “spin” something, or manipulate the facts of a situation in their favor, you can guarantee our first inclination is to run – no, sprint – in the opposite direction.

“But, isn’t that your job as a PR professional?” you might ask. In short, NO. Sure, there are tons of publicists, politicians and others out there who do. These spin doctors make a living out of twisting and turning the facts to position themselves or their clients in a better light. But, PR professionals, at least those who value the credibility and future of our profession, have an ethical responsibility and commitment to disseminating accurate and truthful information.

We take this responsibility so seriously that the Public Relations Society of America, the world’s largest organization of PR professionals, has created an ethical code that guides our work and decision-making day-in and day-out. The PRSA Code of Ethics advises us to:

•    Protect and advance the free flow of accurate and truthful information.
•    Foster informed decision making through open communication.
•    Protect confidential and private information.
•    Promote healthy and fair competition among professionals.
•    Avoid conflicts of interest.
•    Work to strengthen the public’s trust in the profession.

Adhering to the code ensures that we’re always working with the client’s and public’s best interest in mind. It helps maintain professionalism, public trust and the longevity of our industry.

Ethical conflicts do arise in the public relations profession, but what sets true PR professionals aside from the spin doctors is the ability to identify an ethical conflict, apply code principles when working through it, and advise clients to act in the best interest of the public and their own long-term credibility.

So, while we may use an array of four-letter words in the PR profession, you can be sure that “spin” is not one of them.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 10:53 am and is filed under Hot Topics/Cool Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.