PRs have a duty to tell the truth

PRWeek hosted a debate last week on whether PRs have a duty to tell the truth.

For the motion (and on the side of the angels) were former CIPR President Simon Lewis and former Luther Pendragon chief (now a man of the cloth) George Pitcher. Against the motion were Max Clifford and Simon Goldsworthy.

Very disappointingly the 'truth' motion was defeated by 138 votes to 124. I have just done a podcast for PRWeek pointing out that the CIPR Code of Conduct is very clear about the need for PR practitioners to behave in an honest and truthful manner. I also said that I hoped any CIPR members in the audience were aware of the requirements of the Code, and that they had voted accordingly.

All is not lost, however! This week's PRWeek will carry an extensive report on the debate - and point readers at a link where they can vote on the motion. I urge all CIPR members to take advantage of this opportunity to uphold our Code and the integrity of the industry.

** UPDATE ** Email your vote to castyourvote@haymarket.com by Wednesday 7 March.

Comments

[Heather Yaxley]

Surely ethics and truth are more complex and important than a snapshot for/against response at a debate or an online poll. Can anyone, not just those working in public relations, ever commit to telling "the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth"? Is truth such an absolute concept? I feel the motion should have been whether PR practitioners have a duty to lie for their organisations, which seemed to be what Clifford was advocating from those I've spoken with who were there. There are times when it is not possible or advisable to tell everything you know, but communicating deliberate lies is something that I would never support.

[Peter Hehir FIPR]

How depressing that people have the time and inclination to take part in such ridiculous debates. " A duty to tell the truth " ... why us and not everyone else in business? And why "PRs" - is that what the Institute is now calling workers in the public relations business? It reminds me of a similar silly debate instigated by a former PRCA chairman as a way of dethroning Max Clifford, which Max also emerged from not only triumphantly, but also determined from then on to describe himself as a public relations consultant.

An institutional memory panel of older Fellows might help the industry stop shooting itself in the foot.
Peter Hehir FIPR

[Leo Bottary]

Enjoyed your post. I told Sherrilynne that ethics is in the air - I'm posting on it all week as well. Cheers!

[Ginny Reid, CIPR]

Just to clarify, the ethics debate was organised by PRWeek, not the CIPR. However, given the disappointing and surprising result – and the fact that our Code of Conduct demands the very highest standards of ethical behaviour – we feel we now need to bring it to the attention of our 9000 signed-up CIPR members.

Ginny Reid, Acting PR & Marketing Manager, CIPR

[Lionel Zetter FCIPR]

Peter - You are right, it is a shame that we even have to enter this debate - but the reality is that if we don't we lose by default. Well done to Simon Lewis and George Pitcher for taking Clifford on, as far as I am concerned. What is more we can still win the online vote! I would urge all CIPR members to vote and strike a blow for truth - and justice!

Leo - Ethics are very much in the air. We have just tightened the CIPR Code of Conduct, and the CIPR Government Affairs Group (which has its own code) is talking with the PRCA and the APPC to agree a code we can all adhere to.

[Sean at Prompt]

Often the duty to tell the truth to a journalist will conflict with a duty to respect client confidentiality.

Other times you might rather say 'no comment' than hurt the client's reputation by going into detail about a problem area.

I wasn't at the event, but I can imagine why people who consider the truth to be important would vote against there being any overriding duty to tell the truth. It's not as black and white as a yes/no vote would seem to make out.

[Lionel Zetter FCIPR]

Sean - I really cannot agree. It has to be better to say nothing - rather than tell a lie which will in the long term damage your reputation and your client's

[Martin Ayres]

I am a PR student at the University of Westminster where the debate was held, as well as being a member of the audience. I'm currently writing my dissertation on this very subject with regard to the new social media code of ethics, so all of this is extremely interesting to me. I am in the process of transcribing an audio recording of what was said at the debate. If anyone would like a copy of the finished transcription, please let me know.

[Laura Wallace]

There is never any reason or excuse for PR people to lie in the course of their work. If they do, they are likely to get found out and deserve the negative reputational impact which would result.

Similarly, it is not always appropriate to give every piece of information available, but deliberate deception or misleading facts will catch up with PRs and the organisations they represent in the end.

Lying isn't worth it.

[Sharon Cain]

Feeling gob smacked on reading the outcome of PRWeek’s ‘truth’ motion, my initial concern was the negative impression the industry is conveying to students and candidates. Does this upsetting result mean that ‘an ability to lie’ may be among the skills and behaviours that some PRs seek from their recruits?

[cait]

Whose responsibility is it to tell people when it's their JOB to tell the truth? PR is about exploiting the truth and being completely honest, BUT do people really always tell the truth? Of course not. No profession, including those in PR can honestly say that they haven't lied at some point or another, whether it be professionally or socially. You are who you are and to be honest, being a great liar is an asset in some jobs. Although it is the duty of a PR professional to be honest, the numbers don't lie. When more people are voting against being truthful one has to start to wonder, whose job is it to be honest? And who is to tell someone they should be? We all live in the same world, but play by different rules. You get out of things what you put into it. If lying about a firm or client is worth damaging your reputation or theirs then that's a decision left up to the individual. The only thing that IS clear is that some will be sleeping at night better than others.

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