CorpComms Magazine

Francis Ingham, director general, PRCA

Obviously, the PRCA believes in ethical behaviour. And obviously, we endorse the role that formal codes of conduct have to play. We have our own Code, and most PRCA members write it into their employees' individual contracts. We enforce it rigorously.

But a professional body saying that it believes in Codes is a bit like a banker saying he believes in banks - at best merely obvious; at worst pretty self-serving.

If we're honest, we know that formal Codes take us only so far, and are only a means to an end. As they govern only those who choose to be governed, they tend to govern the ethical anyway. So the more important issue is changing the behaviour of the people who choose not to be regulated - who, unsurprisingly, are often the people most in need of regulation.

For those people, the most effective Code is the childhood one. The fear that if we steal from that cookie jar, we'll be found out...

So if we were to write an informal Code - one might call it the Cookie Jar Code - it might say this: ask yourself, how much you want something? How likely is it you'll be found out if you take it? What will happen if you are? And then decide not to do it.

Because the reality is that things which could be swept under the carpet even five years ago no longer can. The stupid email sent after one too many? In existence forever. The ill-advised photo? Loads of permanent, emailable copies. The client blogging that you ripped him off? Permanently searchable. All of these things out there, unable to be deleted or shredded. All of them findable.

So the final rule of the Cookie Jar Code would be this - don't think Mummy won't notice. She's CCTV-ed the kitchen!

Geraldine Sharpe-Newton, president,  Media Society

Well, having a code or rules for PR almost sounds like an oxymoron - especially when a PR professional's role is to support and gain the most positive coverage for their client. Some of the examples over the past few years do fill that criteria but is it good news or 'right' news? Labour put out news on what could be considered 'bad' news days, hoping the story would not be noticed. Floating stories to see how they play and then backing off is a technique that has been tried again and again - in other words, testing the waters. Spin, is another descriptive that is much used to describe what PR professionals do. I think that is the wrong indictment for those who are serious about the profession. So I thought it would-be fun to put together Ten Commandments for PR Professionals. The challenge - which ones do we sin by? 

1. Thou shall not spin, or do disinformation
2. Thou shall have all the facts and shall strive for transparency, presenting the facts correctly and in a timely manner
3. Thou shall insure all clients are well prepared
4. Thou shall not try to pitch a story when a journalist is on deadline
5. Thou shall know and understand what a journalist covers
6. Thou shall have the courage to tell a client when they are wrong
7. Thou shall understand and make best use of new media
8. Thou shall prepare and write concise and understandable press materials
9. Thou shall apologise first when there is wrongdoing and be proactive in stating how it will be solved
10. Thou shall be available. No comment is not the right statement

Charlie Methven,managing director, New Century Media

Last month, an odd story caught my eye. 'Teachers are demanding the right to get drunk at weekends,' the Daily Mail reported, 'as they protest against a tough new code of conduct'.

Apparently, more than 10,000 have signed a petition calling for the scrapping of a new 23 page code (count 'em) riddled with phrases such as 'it reflects the standards that teachers expect of themselves and others expect of the profession' (in which case, why write them down?).

This is clearly a worrying development - and not just for teachers. As a communications colleague of mine asked, What happens if this initiative becomes a trend? Will PR professionals also be expected to 'maintain reasonable standards in their own behaviour that enable them to...uphold public trust and confidence in the profession'? Heaven forbid!

Fortunately, if the teachers' code is viewed as a template, there are plenty of vague statements that are open to wide interpretation - or at least a careful redrafting.

So the first - rather incontestable - tenet of putting the 'wellbeing, development and progress of children and young people first' could easily become Put the wellbeing, development and progress of yourself first.

Elsewhere, the call to 'help children and young people to become confident and successful learners' could possibly evolve into undermine colleagues' confidence in dealing with the press - thereby strengthening your own position. While, a bit of realism might need to be injected into that call to 'uphold public trust and confidence in the profession'. Try not to make trust in spin doctors any worse seems a more achievable aim.

Still, despite my colleague's concerns, I am astounded the teachers have allowed matters to get this far, without killing the story. If this was actually mooted in our industry, the protest vote would far exceed 10,000. 

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