Staying Ethical on the Job PRSSA National Conference, Philadelphia October 27, 2013

1. Staying Ethical on the Job PRSSA National Conference, Philadelphia October 27, 2013 Joseph Cohen, APR Deborah Silverman, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA Francis McDonald, Ph.D., APR Amy Bishop Hanae Mason

2. The Importance of Ethics Joseph Cohen, APR PRSA Chair-Elect Senior Vice President, The MWW Group

3. Ethics in the News and The PRSA Code of Ethics Dr. Deborah Silverman, APR, Fellow PRSA Chair, PRSA Board of Ethics & Professional Standards Associate Professor of Communication, SUNY Buffalo State

4. Ethical Challenges on the Job • Research findings: Newer employees more susceptible to ethical dilemmas at work • Ethics Resource Center report – “Generational Differences in Workplace Ethics” • Report looked at four generational groups: • Millennials (born 1981-2000) • Gen X (born 1965-1980) • Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) • Traditionalists (born 1925-1945)

5. Ethical Challenges on the Job ERC report: The younger the worker, the more likely he/she is to feel pressure, observe misconduct, and experience retaliation for reporting misconduct.

6. Ethical Challenges on the Job • ERC survey findings: • Nearly half of Millennials (49%) observed workplace misconduct • Pressure to break the rules is significantly higher for the youngest workers • The youngest workers (29%) were significantly more likely to experience retaliation than Gen X’ers (21%) and Baby Boomers (18%)

7. Ethics Cases Involving PR Interns & New Professionals

8. 1. Interns Post Fake Reviews Interns at Reverb Communications wrote glowing reviews of PR client’s games in Apple iTunes Store Interns didn’t disclose they were being paid to do so Federal Trade Commission filed charges against Reverb “Charges Settled Over Fake Reviews on iTunes”

9. More on Fake Online Reviews Another case, but no certainty about interns or new pros being involved: • Legacy Learning Systems – fined $250,000 by Federal Trade Commission for not disclosing payment for online reviews • Legacy – produced “Learn and Master Guitar” DVD series • $250K Reasons to Pay Attention to the ‘Blogger Rules’ (PRSAY post)

10. Still More… More instances of fake reviews (not necessarily by interns or new pros): • Fake Yelp reviews: • 20% of Yelp Reviews are Fake (MarketWatch.com story) • Fake reviews on TripAdvisor.com • TripAdvisor Dealt Another Blow: Hotel PR Exec Admits to Posting 100 Fake Reviews Online • TripAdvisor, American Express Partnership Helps Authenticate Reviews (Boston.com)

11. Still More… New York State Attorney General – fined 19 businesses over $350,000 for phony online reviews (September 2013)

12. FTC Guidelines on Social Media • 2009: Federal Trade Commission issued guidelines on use of social media for product endorsement • “The New FTC Guidelines: Cutting through the Clutter” (PRSAY post)

13. FTC Guidelines on Social Media 2013: New FTC guide on social media disclosures What Marketers Need to Know about the New FTC Disclosures

14. 2. Fake Comments on a News Website A former Dallas TV anchor-turned-PR professional posted blog comments under fake names on the Dallas Morning News website He represented a condominium accused of producing glare on the nearby Nasher Sculpture Center

15. 2. Fake Comments on a News Website The newspaper noticed the blog posts all resembled arguments made by the condo developer The PR professional resigned from the assignment and his own PR firm “Fake Comments Muddy a Debate in Dallas” (The New York Times)

16. 3. Young PR Pro Poses as Reporter Young employee of Walmart’s Los Angeles PR firm posed as reporter at event It was staged by a labor union trying to organize Walmart’s warehouse employees The PR firm fired the employee Walmart subsequently fired the PR firm “Walmart Cuts Ties with Public Relations Firm Over Impersonation” (Los Angeles Times)

17. How can PR pros help establish trust for an organization or a brand? The Public Relations Society of America Code of Ethics A standard for ethical behavior and trust building

18. PRSA Code of Ethics Values Fairness Independence Advocacy Honesty Expertise Loyalty Provisions Free Flow of Information Competition Disclosure of Information Safeguarding Confidences Conflicts of Interest Enhancing the Profession

19. PRSA Code of Ethics • Adopted by PRSA in 1950 to: • Provide behavioral guidelines for members • Educate management on PR standards • Distinguish PR professionals from those who use the title but give profession a bad name

20. PRSA Code of Ethics • In 2000, PRSA adopted a new code of ethics for its members • New focus: on universal professional values that inspire ethical behavior and performance • These values are the foundation of the provisions in the code

21. PRSA Professional Values • Advocacy– PR professionals serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for clients and providing a voice in the marketplace of ideas • Honesty – PR professionals adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth

22. PRSA Professional Values • Expertise – PR professionals have specialized knowledge and skill, maintained through continued professional development • Independence– PR professionals provide objective advice to those they represent and are accountable for their actions

23. PRSA Professional Values • Loyalty – PR professionals are loyal to their clients but continue to serve the public interest • Fairness – PR professionals deal fairly with all publics

24. PRSA Code Provisions • Free Flow of Information – Protecting and advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information is essential to serving the public interest. • It contributes to informed decision-making in a democratic society

25. PRSA Code Provisions • Competition– Promoting healthy and fair competition among professionals preserves an ethical climate while fostering a robust business environment.

26. PRSA Code Provisions • Disclosure of Information – Open communication fosters informed decision-making in a democratic society.

27. PRSA Code Provisions • Safeguarding Confidences – Client trust requires appropriate protection of confidential and private information.

28. PRSA Code Provisions • Conflicts of Interest – Avoiding real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest builds the trust of clients, employers, and publics.

29. PRSA Code Provisions • Enhancing the Profession – Public relations professionals work constantly to strengthen the public’s trust in the profession

30. Professional Standards Advisory—Unpaid Internships In addition to its Code of Ethics, PRSA has created Professional Standards Advisories on specific ethics topics One of these pertains to unpaid internships “Ethical Use of Interns” (PSA-17) More lawsuits being filed by unpaid interns – e.g., “’Charlie Rose’ Show Agrees to Pay Up to $250,000 to Settle Interns’ Lawsuit” (Media Decoder.com)

31. A Personal Code of Ethics • “Getting a Code of Your Own” by BEPS co-chair James Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA • Email: jel@e911.com • Knowing your own code helps to explain the components of your ethical personality: • Integrity • Trustworthiness • Selflessness • Verbal Vision • Candor

32. A Personal Code of Ethics • How to develop your own code? Write down: • What do you believe in? • Who are you? • What are your personal limits? • What are your aspirations? • What are your principles? • What are your virtues? • What are your daily intentions as a communicator, member of society, family member? • Where are you headed in life?

33. Ethical Decision-Making Process Identify the ethical issue and/or conflict. Determine internal/external factors likely to influence your decision (financial, contractual, legal issues, etc.). Choose key PRSA values that apply. Consider parties who will be affected by your decision and your obligation to each one. Select ethical principles to guide your decision making (see PRSA code provisions). Make a decision.

34. Real-Life Ethical Dilemmas Amy Bishop Hanae Mason Digital PR Specialist Assistant Manager DigitalRelevance The Wardrobe Boutique Career Wardrobe

35. Case Study for Discussion“Gaming the Online System” Discussant: Dr. Francis McDonald, APRFormer Member, PRSA Board of Ethics & Professional Standards Assistant Dean for Administration The Scripps Howard School for Journalism and Communications, Hampton University

36. Gaming the Online System Case • You are a senior in college, majoring in public relations, and you are excited because you just landed your dream internship at a local public relations agency. It is a paid internship, and you also are earning academic credit. • The agency’s client list includes several companies that manufacture video games, and you have been assigned to assist on one of those accounts. You really want to impress your client, because you hope to obtain an entry-level PR job at the video game company after graduation.

37. Gaming the Online System Case As an intern, your responsibilities initially include attending meetings between the PR agency and the client, writing fact sheets and media advisories for the client’s latest game, updating the media list, and assisting with an upcoming special event to promote the latest game in local stores. One day, however, your internship supervisor at the agency makes another request: he wants you to write and post positive reviews of the new game in the Apple iTunes store, without disclosing that you are being paid to do so. He asks you not to mention these reviews to anyone else at the PR agency. You remember from one of your PR classes that the Federal Trade Commission issued guidelines on that topic a few years ago, but you desperately want a job with that video game company after you finish college. What should you do?

38. Gaming the Online System Case 1. Identify the ethical issues and/or conflicts. 2. Determine internal/external factors likely to influence your decision. 3. Choose key values and provisions from the PRSA Code of Ethics that apply. 4. Consider parties who will be affected by your decision and evaluate the public relations professional’s obligation to each one. 5. Select ethical principles to guide your decision-making. 6. Make a decision and offer a brief rationale. Case prepared by Dr. Deborah Silverman, APR, Fellow PRSA, and Dr. Francis McDonald, APR

39. For more information about the PRSA Code of Ethics go to: http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/ • Code of Ethics (English & Spanish versions) • Professional Standards Advisories • Ethics scenarios with discussion (answer) keys • Ethics quiz • “Best practices” PRSA chapter ethics programs • How to report questionable behavior (email to beps@prsa.org)

40. Questions? Contact Us! Joseph Cohen, APR Dr. Deborah Silverman, APR, Fellow PRSA Senior Vice President Associate Professor of Communication The MWW Group SUNY Buffalo State New York, NY Buffalo, NY JCohen@mww.comsilverda@buffalostate.edu Dr. Francis McDonald, APR Amy Bishop Hanae Mason Assistant Dean Digital PR Specialist Assistant Manager The Scripps Howard School DigitalRelevance The Wardrobe Boutique for Journalism & Communications Indianapolis, IN Career Wardrobe Hampton University amybishop822@gmail.com Philadelphia, PA Hampton, VA hanaevictoria@gmail.com francisc.mcdonald@hamptonu.edu