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Every profession has a code of ethics to enable its practitioners to perform their function conscientiously.
It lays down do's and don'ts for PR practitioners. It facilitates enforcement of discipline by the professional body among its members. The code is acknowledged and accepted not only by the profession but also by the public who are protected by it.
Code of Athens
In 1961, International Public Relations Association (IPRA) adopted its formal 'Code of Conduct' as the required guidelines of practice for all its members, to which they must attest on joining. The Code has been taken as a model by several national PR associations.
Four years later the Association adopted the ‘Code of Athens’ an international code of ethics for public relations as its normal charter. The code is based upon the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. This code has been presented to many heads of state.
India
The public relation society of India has adopted code of Athens as its code of Ethics on April 21, 1968 its first All India PR Conference held in New Delhi and hereby declared that it accepts as its moral character the principles of the following Code of Ethics, and that if, in the light of evidence submitted to the society, a member of this Society, should be found to have infringed this Code in the course of his professional duties, he Is he will be deemed to be guilty of serious misconduct calling for an appropriate penalty.
Accordingly, each member of this Society – PRSI:
- Shall Endeavour:
- To contribute to the achievements of the moral and cultural conditions enabling human being to reach their full stature and enjoy the indivisible rights to which they are entitled under the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights’:
- To establish communication patterns, channels which by fostering the free flow of essential information, will make each member of the group feel that he is being kept informed, and also give him an awareness of his own personal involvement and responsibility and of his solidarity with other members;
- To conduct himself always and in all circumstances in such a manner as to deserve and secure the confidence of those with whom he comes into contact;
- To bear in mind that because of the relationship between his profession and the public, his conduct even in private will have an impact on the way in which the profession as a whole is appraised.
- Shall undertake:
- To observe, in the course of his professional duties the moral principles and rules of 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights';
- To pay due regard and to uphold human dignity and to recognize the right of each individual to judge for himself;
- To establish the moral, psychological and intellectual conditions for dialogue in its true sense, and to recognize the right of the parties involved to state the case and express their views;
- To act in all circumstances in such a manner as to take account of the respective interests of the parties involved; both the interests of the organization which he serves and the interests of the public concerned;
- To carry out his undertakings and commitments which shall always be so worded be so worded as to avoid misunderstanding and to show loyalty and integrity in all circumstances so as to keep the confidence of his clients Or employers, past or present, and of all the public that are affected by his actions.
- Shall refrain:
- Subordinating truth to other requirements;
- Circulating information which is not based on established and ascertainable facts;
- Taking part in any venture or undertaking which is unethical or dishonest or capable of impairing human dignity and integrity; and
- Using any manipulative methods or techniques designed to create subconscious motivations which the individual cannot control on his own free will and so cannot be held accountable for the action taken on them;
- The Public Relations Society of America and the other national PR Associations have changed their Codes of Ethics for Professional Standards from time to time depending on changing situations.
- It is high time for PRSI to change its 34 year old Code of Ethics adopted in 1968.
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Participants