conflicting pillars ... confusing times

Relating back to my previous two blogs I have recently been thinking more about the topic of truth and how it relates to honest and responsible public interest, is this the same thing?

So I delved a little deeper into the truth and it got me thinking about how gullible I really am. I tend to believe whatever I’m told and very rarely suspect people of lying to me. I found an article which stated

“… both public relations and advertising professionals have been called to account for falsehoods they furthered on behalf of their clients”

This quote got me thinking about would I be more loyal to? My client or the public? They are both very important to anyone involved in public relations as it is all about the reputation.

So public relations does rely on the truth and telling the truth is a responsible regard for public interest, although public relations practitioners often stick rigidly to the definition which does not include vagueness, ambiguity and puffery.

I found in Argument: Language and Its influence seven rhetorical questions that public relations practitioners can use to determine the morality of the act of persuasion and the content. These guidelines did focus on the best interest of the audience, which in my opinion is for the best.

I found myself looking back to the ethical pillars of PR which are: veracity (Adhering to the truth), non-malfeasance (the duty to do no harm), beneficence (aim to do good), confidentiality (to keep private) and fairness. How, when I become a public relations practitioner am I supposed to keep under all these guidelines they definitely clash, especially harm and adhering to the truth, how confusing.

I personally believe that I want to avoid harming anyone, but how am can I really harm anyone by telling the truth really?
If you can think of any times when by being told the truth has caused you harm I would love to hear your stories

So, as well as coping with harm I shall also have to consider the other elements, I think as long as you do your best to keep to these pillars it’s ok, as long as you way up if it will be in the best interest.

If I was to find out some information about someone in the public eye, information I believe the public need to know, do I tell the world or keep quiet to stop invasion of privacy?

I was reading into celebrity PR and thinking about how many times when a magazine says a quote coming from a “source” that it’s from their Public Relations manager? Is that invasion of privacy or just doing their jobs?

I was thinking about past stories in which the outcome has ended badly for a public relations practitioner, sometimes it may be easier to keep quiet. Is this in the best interest of the public?

I then got thinking about one of my past seminars in which we were given a scenario, there has been a result switch up and all the patients have to come and get retested. Your boss has said in no way go to the press or you shall lose your job. However, one of the nurses knows a journalist very well. What do you do?

I said there and then I would go the press and tell the whole story and explain how we are dealing with it, as this would show that we have met the problem and dealt with it, thus good crisis management. I personally believe that if I didn’t go to the press as the Public Relations manager someone else would and give a statement, making the situation worse.