Code of ethics and issue concerning the corporate communication professionals

Code of ethics and issue concerning the corporate communication professionals

Is there a separate code of ethics for corporate communication?

Ethics : The term ethics is derived from the Greek word “ethikos” which means custom or habit. It is a branch of philosophy that involves the ordering and presenting of the concept of right and wrong conduct.

Ethical systems and principles that we apply in our day to day work :

- Deontological ethics

* It focuses on the dutifulness and morality of human actions.

* It is duty-based and rests on the moral causes without considering the consequence.

- Teleological ethics

* It is a theory of ethics according to which the rightness of an act is determined at its end.

* It is also known as consequential ethics.

Factors which govern the ethics :

- Code of ethics formed by a professional body

- Grooming of a PR or corporate communication practitioner as a human being

Issues that concern the profession of corporate communication:

- People without a professional qualification practicing the profession of corporate communication: In the US, if one has to practice PR or corporate communication, he/she should have a proper certificate or professional educational qualification from a recognized institute. In countries like India, it is very common to find people entering into the field of corporate communication or PR without a proper qualification.

- Publicity: It is not rare to point out instances of publicity by paying for the editorial space wherever possible.

- Ambush marketing: This takes place when an organization presents itself in association with some events. But, in reality, it has no official or legal permission to do so. For example, selling music outside the grounds of a concert without the permission of the concert promoters is wrong.

Is there a separate code of ethics for corporate communication?

No, there is no separate code of ethics for corporate communication. It also follows the PR code of ethics.

Code of ethics in PR is known as “Code of Athens”. It was issued in 1965.

- A PR person should refrain from subordinating the truth to any other consideration.

- He should not lend help to any enterprise which might harm the morality and dignity of the human race.

- He should not pass on any information if it is not factually correct.

- He should follow the moral principles and rules of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

- He should bear in mind that his conduct in private will have an impact on his profession.

- He should not use words which would make the receivers react irrationally.

Conclusion

A professional code of ethics also works as a code of principles. Despite the existence of PR and Corporate Communication since decades, the professionals are not clear about the importance of this profession.