During a meeting with a new client in 2007, Mark Dvorak, APR, Fellow PRSA, found himself in an ethical dilemma. Back then, businesses had just begun using social media. The client didn’t like what people were saying about her product on Facebook. She suggested that everyone in the meeting create their own Facebook pages and respond to the critics anonymously.
“It hit me in my gut, immediately, that it was not the right thing to do,” Dvorak remembers. “We explained to her what would happen if somebody found out that it was really her, doing it anonymously.”
Dvorak is executive vice president and an executive director at Golin. He was the guest on Sept. 24 for an Ethics Month edition of Strategies & Tactics Live, PRSA’s monthly livestream series on LinkedIn.
Each September, PRSA recognizes Ethics Month to bring increased attention to the core foundation of the communications profession. As the world changes and technology evolves, “We want to make sure that our members stay at the forefront of ethical practices,” said Dvorak, the chair of PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards.
He urges PR professionals to avoid ethical lapses by “reading stories and case studies about what’s going on, things that others in our profession have done.”
John Elsasser, Editor-in-Chief of PRSA’s award-winning publication Strategies & Tactics and host of S&T Live, asked about the most pressing ethical challenges facing today’s PR leaders.
Topping the list is artificial intelligence technology that writes texts, generates images and video, and can even copy the sound of a person’s voice. “PRSA’s Code of Ethics is tremendously relevant today,” Dvorak said. “We found that out as we put generative AI against the lens of the Code. Everything that we needed to evaluate how to use AI ethically was right there for us.” (Download a copy of PRSA’s guide, “The Ethical Use of AI for Public Relations Practitioners,” at this link.)
Mock ethics drills
As Elsasser pointed out, it’s not always easy for new PR professionals to stand on their morals, especially when the one committing the ethical lapse is the boss or client.
“It’s incumbent upon all of us, particularly middle- and senior-level [PR leaders], to create the kind of environment where the people who work for us feel comfortable and confident saying something” when they see an ethical misstep, Dvorak said.
“We need to do with ethics what we do with crisis- or issues-management training,” he said. “We need to periodically hold mock ethics drills, where we set a scenario and then say, ‘In the next hour, you have to answer these questions,’ or ask, ‘How would you address this situation?’”
Similar to conducting drills to help prepare for real-world crises, to be ready to respond to ethical dilemmas, “you have to work those muscles and keep them in shape,” Dvorak said.
Reading about the ethical conundrums that companies encounter is essential, “but it’s that situational practice of having to answer or deliver in the moment that really helps build your skill set and your ability to do the right thing when it’s needed.”
You can watch a replay of the full episode here.
In this clip, Dvorak discusses more about the role of PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards.
