Applying the PRSA Code of Ethics

Professionals who find themselves in an ethical dilemma can look to the PRSA Code of Ethics for guidance as to how they should act in their situation. As mentioned in Lesson 1, codes dictate the appropriate actions for professionals in a field, based on the field’s values and ideals. Although not always enforced via punishment – as are other codified structures based on values and ideas, such as laws – codes provide a member of the profession with a good idea of what is considered ethical behavior in the practice.

Professionals with an ethical dilemma can look first to the examples of improper conduct to see if they can find a parallel to their current situation. A situation that matches or resembles very strongly one of these explicitly mentioned scenarios is likely unethical, and the professional should act accordingly. Checking the situation against the stated intent of the code provision and/or the core principle of each code might also provide some insight into the situation’s ethical standing.

Lacking a clear parallel to one of the sample scenarios or the code provisions, a professional can assess his or her ethical dilemma by considering the stated values of the profession. While these values are also reflected in the remainder of the code, they can stand alone as drivers of ethical practice by public relations professionals.