Ethical PR vs. spin and propaganda

The debate around ethics is based on the understanding of what moral right is and how to distinguish it from wrong.

Key theoretical concepts of ethical issues are in brief discussed by Alison Theaker in The Public Relations Handbook (2008, p.145-149). Main terms characterizing ethics are: “common good”, “rights”, “duty” and “responsibility”.

PR is the core element in corporate communications; consequently, it “plays the major role in managing the moral dimension of corporate conduct” as stated by Pearson (Theaker, 2008, p. 148). This author advocates a significant role to PR similar to what Gruning and Hunt call two-way symmetrical model.

“Ethics, - as Holmes says, - is about the good and about the right” (Theaker, 2008, p. 143) while spin and propaganda are seen as manipulation and lying.

According to O’Malley PR is about “the advocacy and dissemination of the partisan viewpoints of those who engage our services” “to promote the lawfully-pursued, self-defined interests of those we serve” (O’Malley, P. In Praise of Secrecy: The ethical foundations of public relations - ).

PR practice is regarded as public responsibility as it is stated in the Code of Ethics. However if practiced by government people often associate it with manipulation, spin and lies.

As Edward Bernays wrote in “Propaganda” (1928): “the conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country”(Burton, B. (2007); Inside Spin: The Dark Underbelly of The PR Industry. P. 2). Such an invisible PR is practiced through spin and propaganda techniques and with the help of manufactured stories, pseudo events, skewed survey statistics, overuse of celebrities and non-disclosure of information.

It is not a secret any longer that people are often being fooled and told lies. The question is: “What could be done to regulate the flow of spin and propaganda and to establish more ethical communications?”

It is always of big advantage to establish an official regulatory body to monitor PR and government communications. Alternatively PR associations’ vigilance role could be reinforced by codes of ethics modification, more severe members’ discipline application, stricter penalties and higher entry qualification demands. However individuals also have to be aware of possible misleading messages sent by government through the media and should neglect its intentions. Moreover it is of great importance to provide them with the possibility to get PR education and be able to participate in controlling the flow of spin and manipulation.

Using social media for business

This "Using social media for business" webcast gives you some tips on main social media features, strategies, benefits and negatives to help your business on the Web.

Five steps to better crisis management.

Dear reader!

I found a nice article “Five steps to better crisis management” published in PRWeek on the 26^th of February 2010. This piece is about how to successfully deal with a crisis in today’s society.

The five given steps describe modern changes that affected crisis management giving some examples and tips on how to prevent or cope with a crisis. Shortly the advice here is the following:

1. Social media and key online influencers are crucial,

2. Internet makes everything of global importance, consequently, communicate clearly with different markets tailoring your message in accordance with their individual characteristics,

3. Legal route is still a valid approach and is sometimes the right course of action comparing to information suppress,

4. Third-party endorsement is very influential, so make friends,

5. Get your own house in order.

These are really useful recommendations that every business should be aware of and should apply to their crisis management strategies.

Is CSR mere “window-dressing”?

The more frequent question about CSR is whether it is good intentions turned into benefit for others or whether it is “window-dressing”.

As I wrote in my previous post (“Social conscience of good business”) CSR is often based on self-interest and profit-making.

Christian Aid puts the following point: “…companies make loud, public commitments to principles of ethical behaviour and undertake “good works”… The problem is that companies frequently use such initiatives to defend operations or ways of working which come in for public criticism.” (Moloney, K. (2006); Rethinking Public Relations: PR Propaganda and Democracy; p. 107).

Roberts thinks of CSR as of a new form of corporate self-presentation associated with PR, “of prosthesis… that repairs its appearance [corporate body] but in no way changes its actual conduct” (Moloney, K. (2006); Rethinking Public Relations: PR Propaganda and Democracy; p. 110).

These two statements support the idea that CSR is “window-dressing”. This means that “wrong” organization’s actions are masked-up by “good” deeds towards people. Pretending to care about the society the company in fact pursues its own ends that may be in variance with society’s interests. Corporations call it CSR and spend their money to please people and to make them unaware of their malicious actions.

Consequently I’m more likely to say that in addition to “window-dressing” activities companies are weakening their ethical grounding and decreasing their truthful social responsibilities. The only way to stop this tendency is to increase the meaning of PR people’s morals and develop the value of individual ethics. And it may be that CSR will regain its credibility if people will trust single PR practitioners whose ethical principles will lead companies’ businesses along the good and moral path benefiting the society.

Social conscience of good business

Good business is all about ethics aligned with the CSR.

Essentially CSR is about how business maximizes the benefits and minimizes the downsides of its operations’ economic, social and environmental impacts.

There are different opinions about CSR. In general they are divided into groups contrasting each other’s views.

Milton Friedman, for instance, argued that companies are being socially responsible in their profit-making, wealth-creation role. The only CSR acceptable, after him, is the one “motivated entirely out of self-interest and justified on those grounds” (L’Etang, J. (2008); Public Relations: Concepts, Practice and Critique; p. 89).

Companies operating at the societal level (contributions towards improving the society, according to Peach) are increasingly obtaining public recognition and visibility for their corporate actions (Tench, R. and Yeomans, L. (2009); Exploring Public Relations; p. 99-103).

CSR acts show organizations’ “human face” and “a caring side” (L’Etang, 2008, p. 191). Wonderful! Now people are aware of your kindness, compassion and helpfulness. However one of the issues here is whether business acts in its own self-interest and those of its stakeholders or in the interests of the larger society.

Russian culture context

Speaking about my native culture, which is Russian by the way, in terms of Hofstede and Hall theories, I can say that Russian culture is a high-context culture. Generally, Russians tend to be indirect in their communications and their understanding of a situation is usually based on a whole host of factors.

To find more about the Russian culture (which is quite true):
http://old.goinglobal.com/hot_topics/russia_jerome_business.asp

To find more on the difference between high- and low-context cultures:
http://crossborderproject07.blogspot.com/2007/10/high-context-vs-low-context.html

There is a nice site for Hofstede's intercultural dimensions theory that also displays world map for each of the dimensions indexing almost every country's score:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/intercultural/dimensions.html

Geert Hofstede's theory analysis with each country's example page can be found here:
http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/hofstede.htm

Good PR is global or context and culture specific?

Allow me to continue my today's flow of reflection but on a different topic - "Can global and local PR coexist or will the first replace the latter?"

In my opinion global PR can't cope with every task on its own today. I can not predict what will happen in 10-20 years but presumably the situation will improve, however nowadays the knowledge of specific context and culture is essential.

To back up my idea I will refer to the International Public Relations In Practice book edited by Margaret Nally who stresses that: "The successful public relations professional... recognizes that what works in one country does not necessarily work in another: individual countries need individual strategies" (1991, p.117). Failure to recognize and respond to local market conditions can lead to inappropriate work.

Alan Macdonald (ibid, ch. 3) considers a local national to be the "ideal consultant" (ibid, p. 49). Moreover local PR professionals know better which journalists and writers to sell the story to and how to gain editorial coverage and to reach suitable media.

Global PR is vital and transcontinental messages are acceptable, though these are not possible without domestic communications. This makes the saying - "Think globally, act locally" - very appropriate and correct.