4 July 2021 New Media Edition 1

PUBLIC RELATIONS

IN THIS ISSUE
Things You Need to
HOW TO RUN Know about Public
TRUSTWORTHY PR
CAMPAIGNS
Relations
by Britney Taylor

PUBLIC RELATIONS If you are like me, then you know absolutely
CODES OF ETHICS nothing about public relations. I have to blame
and thank the global pandemic that sparked my
interest in Public Relations. I've always a niche
for writing and I could improve on my
ENCOUNTERING communication skills. So while I was recovering
from catching the COVID 19 virus myself, I
A CRISIS
registered for Spring classes and decided to
change my major to Communications. I'm still
CITE YOUR SOURCES - not convinced this is a career worth pursuing
FOR MORE myself. But I figured I'd give some insight for
the people that may be interested in public
INFORMATION
relations as a possible career.
4 JULY 2021 VOLUME 1

Now I'd like to bring to your

Depositphotos. “Public Relations”. 2 July 2021
attention. that there are some
concepts in this newsletter that
will be repeated. The most
important concept that. will be
repeated is honesty. Now, most
of you may be saying in your
head that you are an honest
person already. Well great! The
brain learns off of reputation,
but check out how these
concepts apply in your role as a
public relations professional.

How to Run Trustworthy Public

Relation campaigns
Benjamin Franklin famously coined the
phrase: "Honesty is the best policy." A good
thumb to remember is once the information
is out there for the public to see...the words
written cannot be taken back. It’s important
to not ruin your credibility, most importantly
you don’t want to ruin your clients or
company’s reputation. There are so many
factors that ultimately cripple or even
possibly destroy your own and the media’s
outlet’s credibility. The first factor is not
being honest. The second factor is distorting
There are sending our misleading facts. The
third factor is slandering other news
competitors to try to make yourself or your
media outlet better. The last fact which in my
opinion is the most important factor to
consider DO NOT ACCEPT BRIBES FOR
COVERAGE! There are 7 billion people in the
world, which means there are over 14 billion SayingPoint. “Honesty is the Best Policy”. Pinterest. 2 July 2021.

problems in the world. That means there’s a

story to write!
 4 JULY 2021 VOLUME 1

Steps to Take When Encountering a

Crisis

GuideHunting L.L.C. 2018. Explosion Sounds. 20.4MB. Amazon. 4 July 2021

Step 1: Be prepared. Preparedness can include developing a detailed crisis strategy,

creating media materials in advance, arranging media training for key executives, and pre-
establishing a crisis team.

Step 2: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE FACTS! Your goal in a crisis is to gather all the
information from other sources about the situation as quickly as possible. It’s a good idea to
speak with your legal counsel on what information can be released and what information
should be left confidential. Communication is key, staying in constant contact with your
management or crisis team is a must.

“If any lives are in jeopardy, be sure to immediately address those grave concerns.
Negligence with human life is unforgivable.” (.....)"

Step 3: Please tell the truth. When in doubt, stick to the golden rule. Keep it simple, if you
do not have or know the answer it’s fine to admit that you do not know or have any
information at this time. But just reassure your audience that you will do your best to get
the necessary information being asked for.

Step 4: Lastly, do your best to show that you care and never overlook the power of common sense
in these matters. Be sure to understand the public's concerns and address their concerns directly.
But overall, Trust your instinct, trust yourself, when in doubt ask higher management.
 4 JULY 2021 VOLUME 1

Public Relations Codes of Ethics

“PRSA is committed to ethical practices. The level of public trust PRSA members seek, as we
serve the public good, means we have taken on a special obligation to operate ethically.” (PRSA, )
The professional core values of the PRSA are advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence,
loyalty, and fairness. “Core Principle Client trust requires appropriate protection of confidential
and private information, Avoiding real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest builds the
trust of clients, employers, and the public, Public relations professionals work constantly to
strengthen the public’s trust in the profession. https://www.prsa.org/about/prsa-code-of-
ethics

ISRRT Code of Ethics. "Ethics". Shutterstock. 4 July 2021

References
“PRSA Code of Ethics”. PRSA. https://www.prsa.org/about/prsa-code-of-ethics. Accessed 2 July 2021.

Serphos, Abbe Ruttenburg. “Effective First Steps to Counter a Crisis”. ABR Communications.
http://aboutpublicrelations.net/ucruttenberga.htm. Accessed 2 July 2021.

Vine, Steven Le. “How to Run Ethically Sound PR Campaigns”. Grapevine PR.
http://aboutpublicrelations.net/uclevine3.htm. Accessed 2 July 2021.

GuideHunting L.L.C. 2018. Explosion Sounds. 20.4MB. Amazon. 4 July 2021

ISRRT Code of Ethics. "Ethics". Shutterstock. 4 July 2021

SayingPoint. “Honesty is the Best Policy”. Pinterest. 2 July 2021.

Depositphotos. “Public Relations”. 2 July 2021

RDWGroup. 19 January 2018. “The Modern Day Publicist: Traditional Public Relations (PR) Vs. Digial PR”. 4
July 2021
*I do not own any of the rights to these pictures. Only used for school purposes.