Ethical public relations to save the world

I believe I can change the world. Overdramatic? Possibly, but I believe it. After studying several social enterprises, I've seen how a single amazing individual can create something that has far-reaching, sustainable impact on thousands of people. As a public relations professional, I want to spread the noble work of those organizations and enable them to achieve their missions.

Unfortunately, after studying public relations, I've seen how a single unethical individual can ruin an entire organization. Dorothy Bowles and Diane Borden in "Creative Editing" have outlined many of these instances. Take Jayson Blair for example, a The New York Times reporter who plagiarized and fabricated people and situations in more than 600 stories during his four-year tenure at the paper. He single-handedly destroyed the trust between The New York Times and its readers, and the newspaper had to work hard to regain it.



As a public relations professional for mission-driven social enterprises, such as Toms Shoes or Ten Thousand Villages, I would spread awareness of the organization’s mission and galvanize the public to take action. However, there are still ways to fall into the ranks of Jayson Blair, which is why it’s extremely important to know and review the PRSA Code of Ethics. For my career, I need to be aware of the following ethical considerations.

Minimize harm

The PRSA Code of Ethics says to “be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.” In my profession, I’ll likely conduct interviews and take photographs of disturbing situations that depict the plight of people affected by different issues. For example, Toms Shoes is an enterprise that gives a pair of shoes to a child in need every time a pair is purchased. To spread awareness of the issue, I could publish a gruesome picture of a child’s blistered feet, but I have to decide whether it is ethical to publish.

 Disclosure of information

Another stipulation of the code is to “build trust with the public by revealing all the information needed for responsible decision-making.” For my profession, I’ll promote the good work of organizations in the hope that people support the organization. It’s extremely important to be open and honest about what exactly people are supporting, so that the public can be informed in their decision-making.

Enhancing the profession

Finally, the code says that we have the responsibility to “build respect and credibility with the public for the profession of public relations.” Although I want to promote the good work of mission-driven enterprises, I have to be aware of the organization’s intentions. If the organization were to ever steer away from their mission and conduct unethical practices, it would be my duty to resign from my job to protect the name of public relations.

In public relations, it is essential to uphold a code of ethics and act responsibly. I believe I can change the world, but change can only be achieved through ethical actions.

Necessity of online resources for professionals

 In a time where social media has become increasingly prevalent, professionals can now leverage social media to improve their careers. For public relations professionals, it is essential to create an effective online presence to attract prospective employers, as well as to consistently monitor the media to stay current with public relations news.

Importance of online presence to employers

            With the pervasiveness of technology, employers are turning to social media to conduct background searches. Forty-five percent of employers used social networking sites to research candidates, according to a CareerBuilder survey. Previously, it was beneficial if an employer found nothing to an applicant’s name. Nowadays, the same situation is harmful to the applicant because employers will wonder why someone with an established career has no online presence.

Increase online branding presence

            For college students entering the workforce, creating an effective online presence requires the following steps, according to a Mashable.com article:

·         Know who you are online: Google search yourself and eliminate any undesirable results.

·         Boost your personal brand: Write your own brand message that conveys your interests, strengths, and goals.

·         Use social media: Choose a select few social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and update them frequently with relevant content to your field.

For instance, an aspiring public relations professional hoping to be hired by LivingSocial could use tip three by creating a blog that evaluates Living Social’s public relations strategies.

Monitor traditional and new media

It is vital for a professional to stay current with events and updates specific to his or her field. A public relations professional should use outlets such as newspapers, websites, blogs, and social media to monitor news in the public relations fields.  Several tips for effective media monitoring from E-Releases.com  include:

·         Know your purpose for monitoring. If there is a certain aspect of public relations that interests you, target that area.

·         Identify key phrases to focus on relevant media outlets.

·         Leverage the influencers. If there is an expert that could be invaluable to your career, reach out to him or her.

For more information on what new media sources public relations professionals should follow, look at PRWeb’s list of 25 essentialpublic relations blogs.

For a traditional media outlet, subscribe to PRWeek or access it online.

Diversity vital to public relations

Promoting diversity is essential to effectively practicing public relations. Public relations professionals must represent their organizations and clients and communicate with key stakeholders in a way that best responds to their clients’ needs. When public relations practitioners incorporate ideas from people with different backgrounds, they can encompass a wide variety of perspectives. The Society of Professional Journalists offers several tips on preserving diversity.

Defining diversity

Diversity represents groups of people based on differences in characteristics, such as age, race, gender, language, and culture. For public relations, diversity means building relationships with a variety of publics. A public relations practitioner can improve a corporation’s reputation by reaching out to a diverse selection of stakeholder publics. Otherwise, an organization can create a negative reputation if they do not promote diversity. When the public accused Abercrombie and Fitch of discrimination, the company began a public relations plan that implemented new diversity initiatives to improve sales and mitigate negativity.

Building diversity in public relations

To build relationships with an unfamiliar community, public relations professionals must first develop background. Ways to conduct preliminary research include:

·         Attend a cultural event.

·         Read flyers and brochures to understand what issues compel the community the most.

·         Talk to the average person, not just the self-appointed leaders in the community, in order to get a complete picture.

For instance, if LivingSocial wanted to expand their market to a new location, a public relations practitioner could utilize the third tip by interacting with local residents to determine the activities and businesses LivingSocial should partner with to provide deals.

Communicating with a different culture

When communicating between clients and key stakeholders, it is essential to maintain inclusive language. For example, public relations professionals must use appropriate language to address people with disabilities, or their insensitivity could reflect badly upon the organization they represent. The Society of Professional Journalistssays to check appropriate terminology by knowing the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s style guide. For instance, “comatose” or “non-responsive” is acceptable, whereas “vegetative state” is not.

For more information on increasing diversity in the public relations field, find resources at the Public Relations Society of America.

The Story Behind the Profile of Melissa Carrier

The process behind writing the profile of Melissa Carrier was long, difficult at times, but ultimately rewarding. I interviewed, outlined, changed my ideas, and edited to come up with my final story.

Wall Street Journal Formula

When organizing my profile, I chose to follow the Wall Street Journal format, which begins with a soft lead, focusing on a person or event, and then the story provides backup for the lead and supporting points. The body of the story is arranged in a way that one point leads to another. 

I began with a scene of Carrier teaching to her Social Innovation Fellows class. Ifollowed with a nut graph that explains her transformation: she realized that she could combine her professional career with her social change aspirations, and with her transition to academica, she also realized she could inspire others to do the same. The rest of the story was arranged topically:

• Her youth, when she believed social change and a career had to be separate

• Journey through corporate America

• Realization that she can merge the passions of business, technology, and social change

• Turning point: when she began a family and realized she could do more impactful things with her life

• Inspiring students to follow her footsteps

 The Wall Street Journal formula allowed my profile to flow and sound less like a biography, and more like a story.

I also used several techniques from Chapter 17 of the Rich textbook, such as using graphics to break up my story, using the GOAL method to focus my story, and providing a turning point to my story.

For law and ethical considerations, I made sure to get consent from my interview subjects to record and take pictures. I also ensured they understood what "on the record" meant, so I used all of the content they told me. 

 Tips from Alan Richman

"You've got to nail them with a question they like," says Alan Richman about celebrities.

Although Carrier is not a celebrity, she is a busy woman. I wanted to make sure my first question was something she wanted to talk about. My first question with Carrier was a simple one: "How did you become interested in social entrepreneurship?" She talked for 15 minutes straight about her journey, and it was evident how passionate she was about changing the world.

"Everybody's got one good story to tell. If you talk to the long enough, you'll find it," Alan Richman says.

I continued asking follow-up questions and remaining conversational. By the end of my interviews, I had received several outstanding quotes and good content for my profile from all three interviewees.

Goal Method

I used the GOAL method to develop the focus, theme, and turning point of my story.

• Goals: Carrier wants to give back to the world by combining business principles with social value.
• Obstacles:
• There were few resources about social innovation at the time.
• It was unprecedented for professionals to combine their career with social change.
• When Carrier worked at AT&T, the company’s foundation was poorly researched and did not provide the avenues for her to effectively create social change.
• Carrier had a family to support and put as first priority, which caused a career switch.
• Achievements:
• Carrier created the Society of Women Engineers at Ohio State University.
• Carrier established a stable career in IT consulting.
• Carrier earned her MBA at Wharton to supplement her undergraduate engineering degree.
• Carrier developed various programs at the University of Maryland that encouraged social innovation.
• She helped the Capital Access Network angel investor program grow into a leading regional investor group.
• She created the Social Venture Consulting Program.
• She designed and launched the Center for Social Value Creation.
• Carrier combined her technology and business skills to make an impact on the world.
• Logistics:
• Carrier worked on the AT&T Foundation proposal to link phone services with the American Cancer Society for three months. She had to research whether AT&T could incentivize people to buy more phone service if AT&T donated to the American Cancer Society. Ultimately, she realized that the proposal would not work because the American Cancer Society had nothing to do with purchasing a phone sercie.
• Carrier began the design for the Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC) in 2008 by benchmarking against other universities. She looked at what they were called, who ran them, and their mission, and realized that everything was too narrowly focused. From this research, she decided that she wanted the CSVC to apply to a variety of different sectors. She built the team and received funding, which allowed her to launch the CSVC.

 The GOAL Method allowed me to maintain focus in my story and emphasize Carrier's transformation.

Arranging Interviews

I contacted Carrier by email, and we agreed to meet on Monday, November 12th. I brought my laptop to record our interview, and to uphold ethical principles, I asked for her consent to record. After the interview, I asked if we could conduct a follow-up interview, so we agreed to meet that Friday on November 16th.

I went to the Smith School Dean G. "Anand" Anandalingam's office hours on Thursday November 15th to conduct the interview. I also brought my laptop, and asked for his consent to record. He agreed to answer follow-up questions through email and gave me his business card.

I contacted Abby Murray by email, and we agreed on a mutual meeting time on Monday November 19th. I did not bring my laptop, and instead I took notes on paper.

Interview Techniques

I used many of the interview techniques from the interview exercise at NewsU.org. First, I conducted preliminary research to ensure that I asked informed questions. For Carrier, I read her biography on the Smith School website. I showed up on time to the scheduled interviews, and I made sure my interviewees were comfortable with recording our conversation. Because the recorder on my laptop, I had to periodically move the cursor around to make sure my laptop did not hibernate after being inactive for too long. To ensure the interviewee that I was still listening, I never broke eye contact and casually touched the mousepad. I nodded my head and asked follow-up questions to show that I was engaged, and at the end of the interview, I always thanked them for their time.

I also took pictures of Carrier and Murray. First, I explained to them the purpose of the photograph and then I had them sign the consent form before I took the pictures. To the left is Carrier and Murray together.

Ideas Generated During the Process

When I originally outlined my profile, I didn't realize that Melissa had taken on a two-part transformation. However, as I looked more closely at my notes and content, I realized that I could illustrate a gradual transformation (from volunteerism to entrepreneurship) and then a sudden turning point (from corporate America into academia).

I also realized a good alternative story form to use would be a timeline. During Carrier's transformation, she goes through a lot of stages, and I thought that a timeline would help illustrate her story.

Finally, I created a website to supplement my profile at SocialEntrepreneurProfile.weebly.com. Although the focus of the website is on Melissa, I thought it would be good to provide extra resources for aspiring social entrepreneurs, which is why I included the tips from Melissa, the Center for Social Value Creation, upcoming events, and related resources.