What is the point of a code of conduct for pr practitioners?

Overall, outside of those who practise it, or are studying to practise it, little is known about the public relations industry. However, if asked, most people will view it as a manipulative industry that tries to persuade and change public opinion, and in most cases uses the media as a tool in which to achieve this. With the mass media currently having the potential to reach its widest audiences to date, be it though, newspapers, television or the internet, there is now, a real need for media relations on all levels to be handled in a correct and professional manner.

According to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, ‘reputation is every organisations most valuable asset.’ For a business or industry to maintain its standards and continual growth, they must maintain an image that can be trusted. A code of conduct for any business sets standards and gives a suggested way for people to behave.

For a growing industry, such as public relations, a code of conduct should be used to provide the practitioner with a correct way of practice, as well as installing trust with the publics who are being reached by such practices.

A code of conduct under an institute such as CIPR, means that all practitioners are accountable for the work they undertake. Never before has this been so important in regards to the growth of social media, which could potentially lay the public relations industry open to unethical practise, using blogs and websites as a way of communicating.

The CIPR believe in integrity, competence and confidentiality, and they believe, therefore that defining a code of practise for its members is one way in which to achieve this united front.

If the public relation industry is to continue to grow successful, a benchmark and standard setting framework in the form of a code of conduct, is essential to maintain the reputation of an industry with credibility, that believes in ethical practises to achieve its goals.

Based on two websites provide an analysis of each organisations model of communication using the definitions proposed by Grunig .

Private sector.
Imerys
Founded in 1880 for the industrial mining of key minerals, Imerys took ownership of English China Clay in 1999. Today it is one of the largest mining companies in the world.
On looking at their website it is clear to see how openly customer-focused they are. They class themselves as a, ‘market driven organisation,’ and they state; “the group structure is driven by its businesses and the markets. Imerys organisation is customer focused and favours implementation of consistent policies within each activity.”

• On almost every page of the site the word customer or customer focus appears.
• They are open about unfortunate job losses and are happy to explain reasons.
• There are meeting notes from annual meetings and their outcomes.
• The organisational structure of the business is shown clearly.
• Q&A sections on what it means to be a shareholder with them
• There are KPI reports that outline their concern for environmental management and what they do to sustain the environment.
• Their online publications such as Sustainable Development, talk about key areas that they are trying to improve on.
• They give explanations of their community relations. Stating how they adapt actions to local situations and how they go about adapting to specific concerns that the community may have.
• They chose key members in the society to liaise with, “We chose suitable partners, and build contacts with relevant authorities and build frame works from this.”
• The website gives ways in which Imerys has helped the wider community. In 2005 they helped build 526 houses for the 2004 Tsunami victims.

From looking at the website, I would say that Imerys adopts the Grunig Mixed Method Model of communications, as they relate to the public on many different levels. However, truth is at the core of their communication. I would say that in particular they use a Two-Way Asymmetric System. To keep their company in favour they need to let people know what they are doing, this includes what they are doing for the environment to balance the work they are undertaking. Feedback is important to them and acted upon. Imerys also work with an open system of communication in mind, from the feedback they are given they will adapt their work ethic accordingly, an example of this would be the importance they hold for community relations, and relationship building with key members of the public. Imerys clearly gets involved in things happening in the wider community, such as their participation helping the Tsunami victims. All this obviously helps to shape Imerys into a company who care and boosts their reputation through corporate social responsibility.


NGO
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS)
Surfers Against Sewage is a non-governmental, not for profit organisation founded in 1990. Their main aim is the campaigning for clean, safe waters, free from sewage that can be used without the risk of illness or contamination.
• On the website SAS admits to using, “media friendly tactics,” to get their message across. This would make suggestions that they are open the Grunig Press Agentry and Publicity model as a possible way of communication to get their message across. However, from the website I wouldn’t say that the information was untruthful, so they probably rely more on the Public Information model, one-way, but truthful.
• The environment already holds strong interests with the public so the SAS job is to get the information across in a way that will reach as many people as possible. They do this by organising events, such as beach cleans, that rely on public participation and support, therefore they are out to gain coverage and change opinion but not really asking for feedback or public opinion.
• The website highlights the online newsletters they produce. This is another way to get their campaigns across.
• There is an educational section that has the main purpose, again, to try and inform, and possibly change opinion on things going on in the environment. The educational information comes in the form of research papers.
• They have a histories section that includes the victories they have occurred, I would consider this as evidence of the Press Agentry Model being used, because it is a form of propaganda, but still based on the truth.

Over all SAS, rely wholly on public participation through donations, participation, and merchandise that is sold in the shop. They are a strong, well focused campaigning group that look for audience participation in the hope of changing opinion, because of this the only feedback they will consider listening to is that which will obviously strengthen their cause.