Toothless Ethics
 
The PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), the largest membership organization for those engaged in this craft, does many things well. It does not do ethics at all. And that could explain why the public holds its practitioners in the same class as pond scum. Corporate leaders with a few exceptions pretty much agree with that assessment. So much for that treasured “Seat at the table” –never mind the seat at the right hand of the CEO.

Instead of whining about it, we need to examine why we're relegated to grinding out media releases and waiting for the roof to fall in. Crisis management too often sees us called in to fix something that we could have predicted had we been in the room when the idea was broached. Of course there are those among us who are afraid to object when we see a train wreck around the corner; especially when the CEO is pouring on the coal. 

One of the most successful members of our craft, Howard Rubenstein, founder of Rubenstein Associates, has done pretty well coming from an opposite viewpoint: “Feeding the client only what they want to hear is a form of ethical deception—and it happens every day in the agency world. That's too bad, because if a client thinks you're telling the truth—even if it hurts—they will value your opinion far more than if they think you'll say anything that will suit them. So I guess the take away here is that the best client service is being upfront and honest. That includes being aggressive in insisting that the client is accurate and ethical in all its dealings and messaging with the public.”

While few of us operate in the rarefied atmosphere Mr. Rubenstein occupies, we have every reason to follow his lead. That’s how to escape the bottom-feeder pond scum image we suffer from. That’s how to gain and hold the seat at the right hand of the CEO. We have to do our job and protect the most valuable asset any organization enjoys, its reputation.

That job is grounded in ethics. Unfortunately for all the good it does, the PRSA, our national face, does not require ethics, let alone the level Howard Rubenstein suggests. Yes they have a code; they even put out an app so you can look up the right thing to do if in doubt while afield.

Problem is, you have to be hauled before the law for the PRSA to kick you out. They whine about legal expense. Right, let’s visualize that: after several warnings and opportunities to straighten up and fly right, the PRSA quietly kicks some miscreant out. Would anyone in this business risk the damage a public airing of their dirty laundry that a lawsuit would trigger? Not going to happen. So the real scum in our craft continue to flaunt their membership in the PRSA and the credentials awarded by the organization. Unfortunately for those in the reputation trade, the courage to protect our own reputation is sadly lacking.