Ethics Every Day: Defining Ethics

September means four things: classes have resumed, the leaves are beginning to change, football season is back and Ethics Month has arrived. PRSSA Ethics Month is a month dedicated to bringing awareness of ethical practice to public relations professionals through webinars, Twitter chats and blog posts. This year’s theme is Ethics Every Day. As public relations practitioners, it is our […]

September Twitter Chat Recap: Ethics Every Day

Thank you to everyone who participated in our September 2015 Twitter chat. Specifically, we’d like to thank our co-hosts, Vice President of Advocacy Victoria Lewis  (tweeting from @VictoriaKLewis) and Vice President of Public Relations Nolan Miles (tweeting from the @PRSSANational account) for guiding the conversation. Please be on the lookout for next month’s Twitter chat! [View the story “September Twitter […]

Attempted CNBC Bribe Reveals Honesty’s Importance in Public Relations

Recently, CNBC revealed a public relations agent’s disturbing attempt to bribe a CNBC employee. The pitch went something like this: I would be asking you to include our clients in stories you’re working on (assuming there’s a natural fit), or pitch your editors on new stories that include discussion of our clients. We’re not looking for you to promote or […]

Getting to Know the BEPS

In the public relations industry, ethics can have a few blurred lines. But have no fear — there’s an app and a committee for that. That’s right, the PRSA Code of Ethics is now mobile and available for all Android and iPhone users. The app even gives users email access to the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) […]

Intern Talk: Why a ‘Fake It Until You Make It’ Mentality Will Kill Your Credibility

It’s your first day on the job and you have a crucial decision to make. Should you ask as many questions as humanly possible or will you adopt the all-too-popular “fake it until you make it” outlook? It’s true that adopting this mentality has potential to lessen anxiety and build confidence, but when it comes to ethics, this is not […]

BuzzFeed Battles Ethics in Plagiarism Scandal

BuzzFeed’s Viral Politics Editor, Benny Johnson, was fired after BuzzFeed executives discovered over 40 counts of plagiarism on the site, according to a blog on Politico.com. In the late evening on Friday, July 25, BuzzFeed Editor Ben Smith issued an online apology to BuzzFeed readers. “After carefully reviewing more than 500 of Benny’s posts, we have found 41 instances of […]