Letter from the President: The Ethics Imperative

This year’s CommEx conference theme, “The Ethics Imperative,” could not be more timely. Actions and commentary by high profile spokespersons in recent months including White House spokesperson, Sean Spicer, is not helping to build credibility or confidence in the public relations profession.

Recently, PRWeek Global Power Book executives named Spicer the “most influential PR professional in the world” and at the same time agreed “he was bad for the industry.” In this situation, they acknowledge that influence clearly does not mean competence.

Although disheartening, the spotlight shining on the public relations profession gives us an opportunity to reflect on our guiding principles—the PRSA Code of Ethics. These go beyond conducting one’s self with transparency and honesty. These principles are a testament to the professionalism, integrity and competence our members apply to their work every day.

I invite you to join me at CommEx, September 14-15, to learn more about emerging trends affecting our profession and to take part in the numerous professional development seminars on topics such as metrics, reputation management, strategic thinking, crisis communication, media relations, branded content, social media, government relations and much more.

It is imperative that we hold one another and ourselves to the highest ethical standards and stay current on what is happening in our industry. In doing so our clients, the organizations we serve, and the public will continue to have confidence in our profession and us as trustworthy and competent practitioners.

See you at CommEx!