In India, the profession of Public Relations is still perceived by many as something that involves wheeling and dealing with rules, hence unethical. Some people have even been called propagandists. But there’s a big ethical difference between real public relations and simple propaganda, and here it is: (a) Public Relations is always firmly rooted in fact. It fails when there is no integrity. (b) Public Relations means telling the truth and acting ethically – even when all the media want are headlines and all the public wants are scapegoats.
Ironically, considering how much of our work involves maintaining and improving reputations, Public Relations doesn’t always have the best representative when it comes to ethics. Some people, because of bad things that they’ve done in the past, have even been called propagandists. The word ethics refers to a system of moral principles governing the appropriate conduct of a person or a group, including behavior, whether personal or organizational, that must comply with certain standards.
Different people set different standards, and these standards depend on the values and norms held by the people concerned. Since they differ from one person to the next, standards of behaviour also differ.
Around the world, most ethical standards are not mandatory and are expected to be accepted voluntarily by members of society. Certain laws are sanctioned by the government and made mandatory for all citizens; flouting them warrants specific punishments. In the corporate and industrial world, it is generally agreed that the laws of the country or state should be observed. Laws, however, reflect the norms, values, beliefs, and political system of a country, and these vary from country to country. Among such values, truth and justice are of prime importance.
It is not only important but also required that PR professionals have a thorough understanding of the country’s laws, especially those laws that apply to the information area. The laws that govern information dissemination, which is the primary responsibility of PR practitioners, include defamation, libel, slander, the Copyright Act, intellectual property rights, and privacy rights. Let us discuss each one in detail.
First, we will take libel, as it is not yet clearly defined and is the mother of all suits filed in court regarding ethical issues. In fact, it is tantamount to libel when an untruthful statement about a person, published in writing (in a newspaper or magazine) or through broadcast media (TV channels or social media platforms), injures the person’s reputation or standing in the community. The injured person can sue the person who made the false statement. Libel is a form of defamation. The remedy is available to the aggrieved person in a civil action under the criminal proceedings for defamation.
On the other hand, slander is a form of defamation. It is an untruthful oral statement about a person that harms the person’s reputation or standing in the community. The injured person can sue the person who made the false statement. If the statement is made via broadcast media, such as radio or TV, it is considered libel rather than slander because it can reach a very wide audience.
If a false statement is published in print or through broadcast media, such as radio or TV, it is called libel. If it is only spoken, it is called slander. The Indian Penal Code defines defamation as whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person, intending to harm or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of that person, is said to defame that person.
It is desirable that PR practitioners take due care when reproducing any matter, provided it is fair and for a legitimate purpose. Copyright may be infringed by using the whole or a substantial part of the work in which the copyright subsists without the copyright owner’s consent. However, there are also exceptions when the information is publicized in good faith.
A voluntary code of conduct has been devised by Public Relations practitioners and other professionals for themselves. Such codes, because they are based on actual practice and devised by professionals operating in that area, become relevant and acceptable. If the self-imposed code is respected and adhered to by all, no other enforcement mechanism may be necessary.
