By: Derek Heim
When people hear about a “PR stunt” they automatically think that they have been manipulated. The public refers to PR practitioners as “spin doctors” or “manipulators of the media.” These terms were created due to unethical behaviors practiced in the past. Today, the PR field as a whole actively works to improve its current reputation. Organizations such as Public Relations Society of America, or PRSA, are in place to set up guidelines that strategic communicators can follow in order to maintain an ethical image.
Examples of good ethical practices are everywhere. From daily conversations to well-known movies, ethics guide decisions, motivations and hesitations. As important as these concepts are, they can be incredibly difficult to comprehend. Disney, surprisingly enough, does a great job of highlighting the PRSA code of ethics.
Below are three guidelines that can be found in popular Disney movies that any PR practitioner can follow.
Guideline One: Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
In PR, it can be tempting to want to change the truth in order to benefit your client. Obviously, we want to make everything seem positive, but there is a difference between shining light on a topic, versus openly changing facts. The PRSA code of ethics states that PR practitioners need to be honest and accurate with all communications, and this applies to both internally and externally.
In Disney’s Aladdin, the genie works hard to teach Aladdin this valuable lesson, and if he would have listened, everything would have been sodifferent.
Guideline Two: The world is a mess, and we can fix it
Public relations practitioners are advocates, that is basically what our job comes down to. It is up to us, and our own moral code, to decide what we want to advocate for. In the code of ethics established by PRSA, we are told to serve the public as responsible advocates. This can be translated in many different ways, but it basically boils down to not hurting the public, while also building your client’s reputation.
Sebastian from Disney’s The Little Mermaid talks about how messed up the world can be, but as someone who is in a profession that can make a real impact, we need practice responsible and ethical advocacy.
Guideline Three: Save the drama for your llama
Any kind of work involving humans will have conflicts of interest. PR is no exception. The ethical guidelines in place by PRSA are designed to foster relationships that avoid conflict between personal and professional interests. This kind of conflict can be anything from dating an inferior coworker, to accepting gifts from journalists.
Mother Gothel, from the Disney movie Tangled struggles to balance her personal and professional interests. In the end, she becomes stressed, aggravated and confused. Much like a PR practitioner will act should they violate this ethical boundary.
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