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#PR Expanded Guest Post: Ethical Awareness … It’s Never Too Early

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Guest Post By Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, Adjunct Professor, University of Tampa (FL)

Hazlett_Kirk_HeadshotI know that ethics is “taught” in various forms in most colleges and universities, but I have serious concerns as to whether or not the “real world” is included in the process. I’ve seen a lot of theory bandied about, and a lot of historical background. But how much “this is why ethical behavior is crucial to the success of your client or employer” reality is included, I’m not sure.

Those of you reading this who have subjected yourselves to my ramblings in the past know that I tend to quote Edward L. Bernays, arguably the “Father of Public Relations,” a LOT! I had the distinct honor of knowing Mr. Bernays and visiting his home in Cambridge, Mass., on various occasions. He was…and remains to me…an incredible example of gentlemanly behavior and public relations professionalism.

In “Your Future in Public Relations” (Richards Rosen Press; 1961), Bernays has this to say about ethics and public relations counsel: “Anybody with ingrained good sense does not need a specific code of ethics tailored to his profession to tell him how to behave. (p. 61)”  However, he adds in a later chapter, “If an individual is to give advice to others, he should have knowledge and understanding. (p. 77)”

Mr. Bernays makes it pretty clear here…ethical people will behave ethically. But he also gives a good argument for the value of education in the process of professional development.

And this brings me back to my earlier concerns.

Yes. It’s important to be aware of the history preceding today’s ethical guidelines as provided by the Public Relations Society of America, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and other professional societies. But it’s even more important to provide real-life, real-time examples that today’s young men and women…tomorrow’s practitioners…can understand and relate to.

PRSA’s Code of Ethics provides very clear and pertinent examples to support each of its “Provisions of Conduct.” I, for one, use the Code in my classes to drive home the point that ethical behavior is not “the way we were”…rather, it is the “here and now.”

Happily, PRSA also devotes the month of September to intensive ethics training and education. Blog posts, Twitterchats, webinars, and in-person presentations ensure that members around the world have an opportunity to refresh their knowledge and, perhaps, share their own experiences with others. I encourage my students to participate as often as possible and to offer their own insights and am pleased to say that I almost always have at least one or two who take advantage of this opportunity to add to their own knowledge base.

I like to think that, by proactively introducing these young future professionals to the ethical guidelines by which we guide our own thought and action, I am fulfilling the final provision of PRSA’s Code of Ethics: “Enhancing the Profession…Public relations professionals work constantly to strengthen the public’s trust in the profession.”

I believe with all my heart that each and every one of my students should walk out the door with a clear understanding of the expectations I have of him or her. Ethical awareness…it’s never too early.

Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Adjunct Professor of Communication at the University of Tampa (FL). Prior to this, he was Associate Professor of Communication/PR at Curry College in Milton, MA, for more than a decade. A long-time and actively-involved member of the Public Relations Society of America, Kirk was appointed in January 2018 as PRSA Tampa Bay’s first Ethics Officer and has launched an active awareness program to help guide members through ethical challenges. In addition, he is co-chair of the Chapter’s PRSSA/New Professionals Committee.

 

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The #PRStudChat Community Joins Together for “Ethics – The Heart of Leadership” Twitter Discussion on September 13th

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PRSTUDCHATSeptember is PRSA Ethics Month and #PRStudChat will be holding an ethics discussion on Tuesday, September 13th at 8:30 p.m. ET. Our community of PR students, educators and pros will join together for a dynamic Twitter chat on “Ethics – The Heart of Leadership.”  We welcome as our special guest and co-moderator, Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, who will lead the community conversation on the values and fundamental beliefs that guide our behaviors and decision-making process.

A little bit more about our special guest … Kirk Hazlett is an Associate Professor of Communication / PR at Curry College. He is also a member of PRSA’s Board of Ethics & Professional Standards. Kirk will engage students, professionals and educators in a community chat session focusing on the importance of ethics in our professional communication.

A few of the #PRStudChat topics we’ll cover that night will include defining ethics, understanding how ethics is at the heart of leadership, sharing opinions about ethical misconduct and exploring different situations where your ethics may be challenged. Some of the situations we will discuss include scenarios with internal business relations and client communication.

We hope you’ll join us on September 13th for an interesting and useful discussion on ethics in communication and business. As always, we welcome your questions before or during the chat session. You can tweet @PRStudChat, @ValerieSimon, @KirkHazlett or @dbreakenridge with your questions. Be sure to also visit our LinkedIn Group to share your ideas.

Hope to “see” you on the 13th!

PRSTUDCHAT

The #PRStudChat Community Celebrates “Ethics Month” With a September 15th Discussion

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PRSTUDCHATPRSA has designated September as “Ethics Month” with a wide variety of activities to educate and inform members and industry professionals.  The month is jam-packed with twitter chats, webinars, blog posts, newspaper articles, and in-person presentations. In the spirit of Ethics Month, #PRStudChat welcomes Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, on Tuesday, September 15th at 8:30 p.m. ET, as our guest host and moderator, to lead a discussion on ethics and ethical conduct.

Kirk is an Associate Professor of COMM/PR at Curry College and is a member of PRSA’s Board of Ethics & Professional Standards. He will engage students, professionals and educators in a community chat session focusing on the importance of ethics in our professional communication. A few of the topics we’ll cover that night will include the definition of ethics, understanding the “Declaration of Principles,” opinions about ethical misconduct and different situations where your ethics may be challenged.

We hope you’ll join us on September 15th for a fast paced and informative discussion on ethics in communication and business. As always, we welcome your questions before or during the chat session. “See” you on the 15th!

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

 

 

 

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‘Professionalism’ – What Does It Really Mean?

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A Guest Post By Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA

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I hear and use the term over and over…we all do…“professionalism.”

In our hearts and heads, we also all think we know what it means. But do we really?

I face the challenge of defining professionalism almost every day PR…PR Case Studies…and others) at Curry College.

One or another of my students will have (probably accidentally!) read or listened to the news and will have read/heard about a situation where a public figure has done something mind-bogglingly idiotic and made the headlines.

Then comes the question: “But isn’t [he/she] supposed to be a ‘professional’?”

To which I usually respond, “What is your definition of ‘professional’?”

Back comes the tentative reply, “Someone who acts in a way that will make others trust him and want to do business with him.”

To which I then respond, “You’re right…partially. But it’s so much more than that.”

Then I see two or three others flip to the back of their textbook looking for the word “professional” or “professionalism” in the hopes of finding the definition, only to discover that it’s not there.

Textbooks don’t give an easy-to-digest description of what characteristics define a “professional” or the concept of “professionalism.”

Yes, there are general guidelines. In my PR courses, I constantly refer to the Public Relations Society of America and the wealth of resources and information available on the Society’s website.

In particular, I reference PRSA’s “Code of Ethics” and the comprehensive guidelines found in that section of the website. I urge my students to read and become familiar with the various “standards” and the examples given of unethical PR practice.

I tell them that, while PRSA’s website isn’t the “be-all/end-all” when it comes to defining professionalism, it certainly provides a solid framework on which to base your description.

Where do you go from here, though? What truly defines and is the hallmark of a “professional”?

I’ve written about this before…numerous times…and I won’t stop until, as the song from “Bonnie and Clyde” goes, I’m “pushing up daisies in the noonday sun.”

  • A professional exudes pride…of accomplishment…of character…of commitment to his or her chosen career field.
  • A professional devotes him- or herself to educating others as to the standards of conduct that define and guide those in that field.
  • A professional is one to whom others look instinctively as an example of “how I should act.”

You don’t learn professionalism. Professionalism is both a state of mind and a fact of life.

You observe others whose actions and attitudes represent to you the qualities that you, yourself, would like to be known for, and you adopt and adapt those actions and attitudes to your own frame of reference…to your lifestyle…to your business style.

What this means, though, is that you can’t just sit complacently by and let the world swirl around you.

You have to become an active observer of others, and you have to become an equally active participant in your own development as an adult…as a professional.

  • What do they do that makes you think, “Gee, I’d like to be like that.”
  • Then, what do you do that makes you think, “Gee, I’m proud of what I just did!”

With those two steps, you will have started your own journey toward professionalism. And you will be able to define for others what it is that motivates you to act as you do.

Most important…you will have set yourself as a role model for others who, themselves, are just setting out on the quest for the answer to the question, “Professionalism…What does it really mean?

Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Associate Professor of Communication (Undergraduate) at Curry College in Milton, MA. He also is Visiting Lecturer, Organizational and Professional Communication (Graduate), at Regis College in Weston, MA. Prior to his move into academia, Kirk practiced nonprofit and government public relations and marketing for more than 35 years in the US as well as Asia. Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Kirk is a Member of PRSA’s national Board of Directors and has held leadership positions with PRSA Educators Academy and PRSA Northeast District as well as with the Boston and Hawaii PRSA chapters.

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Interns … The Present and the Future of Public Relations

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A Guest Post By Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA

Hazlett_KirkcA recent article in the Boston Globe Magazine caught my attention for a combination of right and wrong reasons. Sporting the title “The Revolt of the Unpaid Intern,” the piece struck me as a somewhat “breathless” condemnation of internship programs in general. The front-page photo of a hapless “intern” schlepping coffee and an armful of papers for filing didn’t help.

I was motivated to fire off a letter to the editor presenting my own opinion of (a) the article itself and (b) the internship concept from my perspective as faculty supervisor for a half-dozen or so Public Relations interns at Curry College each semester. Whether the Globe sees fit to publish my protestation remains to be seen.

All my snarking aside, this commentary did serve a purpose, I believe. It definitely reminded me and, hopefully others, of the potential that interns represent and of our responsibilities as their professional guides.

They are often a welcome addition to a busy office. They are willing and eager to take on the seemingly mundane but oh-so-important-to-our-efforts tasks of curating news clips and updating media lists among other chores. And, as they demonstrate their budding abilities as writers and editors, they pound out first drafts of releases and other materials that can then be fine-tuned by other, more experienced, staffers.

Not every experience with an intern works as planned…I’ve had a couple derail over the years. But that’s life … not every permanent hire works out as planned either.

However…and this, to me, is the important part…when things do work out and the intern shows his or her potential to become a contributing member of a team, it’s a “win-win” for all. The intern gets that valued extra step up in the job search rat race; the employer gets a new professional primed and ready to dive productively into the pool.

The article did raise one significant and perceptually negative issue…that of interns working for “free” and doing jobs that other…permanent…employees would be paid to do.

There are arguments on both sides of this matter…some say that interns should receive at least minimum wage for the work they are doing; others contend that academic credit and “free” job training are payment enough. The Public Relations Society of America has issued its own guidance to help clear the air.

I fall into a third camp…I support and encourage the concept of payment for services rendered (my own internship back in the Dark Ages with the US Army was paid), but I will not discourage one of my students from applying for an unpaid internship if the skills and knowledge that he or she would be gaining mean a better chance of securing full-time employment after graduation based on those skills and that knowledge.

The bottom line for me is just this … our colleges are doing a decent job of teaching future PR practitioners the basics of the profession … the history, the theory, the rudimentary tactics and techniques.

But real-time, real-life experience in the workplace is vital. “The book says…” doesn’t cut it.

So the present when it comes to interns is that today they are dipping their toes tentatively into the churning waters of our profession and deserve our wholehearted support. What are you doing to ensure that the future will pass into well-trained, capable hands?

Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Associate Professor of Communication (Undergraduate) at Curry College in Milton, MA. He also is Visiting Lecturer, Organizational and Professional Communication (Graduate), at Regis College in Weston, MA. Prior to his move into academia, Kirk practiced nonprofit and government public relations and marketing for more than 35 years in the US as well as Asia. Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Kirk is a Member of PRSA’s national Board of Directors and has held leadership positions with PRSA Educators Academy and PRSA Northeast District as well as with the Boston and Hawaii PRSA chapters.

Continuing Education…Is It “Learning” or “Information Overload”?

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A Guest Post By Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA

I’ve finally come down from the “high” that I always experience after attending the PRSA International Conference. In a nutshell, the conference was four days of learning, learning, and learning along with nonstop networking opportunities.

The beautiful part was the opportunity to hear from (for me, at least) folks who are a lot smarter than I could ever hope to be. The variety of topics covered was such that I can’t imagine anyone anywhere complaining that “there was nothing interesting to attend.”

My happy dilemma each morning and afternoon as I was frantically weighing “Session A” against “Session B,” both offered at the same time, was just how to prioritize and decide which to attend.

When I got back home and my bags were finally unpacked and stowed, I took some time to reflect on what I had experienced…and learned…over the past few days.

Simply put…WOW!

I am blown away by how much new information I stuffed into my pea-sized brain. And every single thing that I’ve learned is something that I can apply directly to my “day job” of teaching public relations at Curry College.

Then the questions start.

Is everything I saw and heard really going to be of value? Or was some of it just nice to know? And…drum roll, please…is there a point where your head just gets too full and stuff starts to leak out through your ears?

As the wise poet said, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Drink deep or…(or…what?!?)

Public relations is an ever-evolving, constantly-changing profession. What’s new today is tomorrow’s doorstop. Which means, in turn, that we, as PR professionals, are faced with the challenge of not just keeping up with, but…if possible…staying ahead of the proverbial curve.

So, we take advantage of national conferences, local programs, trade news (PRSA produces several excellent publications – Public Relations Tactics, Public Relations Strategist, and Public Relations Journal) to help us stay abreast of the latest “tricks of the trade” so that we can, in turn, feel confident that we are providing advice and counsel based on the latest knowledge to our clients or employers.

As I’ve written before, successful public relations professionals have a “yearning for learning” that drives us to be continually seeking out this knowledge. And, as we do this, we also are fulfilling one of the tenets of ethical public relations as defined in PRSA’s “Code of Ethics,” that of “enhancing the profession.”

So there is no “information overload,” in my opinion. What there is is a burning desire on the part of those of us who are committed to excellence in our work to be just that…excellent.

Hazlett_KirkKirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Associate Professor of Communication (Undergraduate) at Curry College in Milton, MA. He also is Visiting Lecturer, Organizational and Professional Communication (Graduate), at Regis College in Weston, MA. Prior to his move into academia, Kirk practiced nonprofit and government public relations and marketing for more than 35 years in the US as well as Asia. Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Kirk is a former member of PRSA’s national Board of Directors and has held leadership positions with PRSA Educators Academy and PRSA Northeast District as well as with the Boston and Hawaii PRSA chapters.

 

 

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PR ‘Professional’ or ‘Practitioner’?

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A Guest Post By Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA

I’ve wanted to talk about this for eons. It’s something that started bugging me back in my internship days and continues to do so 40 years later.

In my mind, there are two types of people who work in our line of business. There are the “practitioners” and there are the “professionals.”

A student will occasionally ask me why I make this distinction…often to the dismay of those classmates’ who have studied with me before because they know I’m going off on a side road that could easily eat up half an hour.

Ride with me on this one, though.

“Practitioners,” to me, are those folks who have learned the tactics and techniques of the public relations “business.” They are skilled writers. They are talented media relations experts. They are adept at taking the raw materials of a client’s specialty area and turning them into communication tools that effectively promote that client’s business.

They’re the technicians who make sure that the nuts-and-bolts of the client’s communication programs are up to snuff.

“Professionals,” on the other hand, do this and so much more. They also fully comprehend and embrace the nuances of our craft, and they are prepared with advice and counsel to steer the client through to success.

They are the pathfinders who share the client’s vision and offer guidance that helps prepare in advance for situations that oftentimes have not yet bubbled to the surface.

Now, before you go looking for stones to throw at me, let me be clear…I’m not suggesting that practitioners are “inferior.” Quite the contrary; the great majority of them are outstanding examples of our craft. But their focus is on the product, and they “get the job done.”

Once that “job” has been done, though, they move on to the next “job”…kind of like a carpenter finishes one home repair project and moves on to the next. Useful service provided, but no depth.

On the other side of the fence is the professional, who is also quite capable of providing all the skills and services of the practitioner but takes the role to a higher level by guiding the client along a path to more effective and efficient communication with stakeholders.

One…the practitioner…offers the microscopic…close-up/here-and-now…view of the client’s needs. The other…the professional…offers the telescopic…long-distance/future…view as well.

Each fills a valuable role, and each meets its particular clients’ needs. But…as I often challenge my students: “How serious are you in your desire to be a member of the profession of public relations? How important is it to you that you hold yourself to a higher standard of service to clients and their publics?”

Public relations, to me, is a strategic counseling function that helps clients look into the future and identify courses of action that will enable them to move forward successfully meeting the needs, wants, and desires of their stakeholders while also fulfilling corporate goals.

The public relations professional fulfills this valuable mission.

Hazlett_KirkcKirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Associate Professor of Communication (Undergraduate) at Curry College in Milton, MA. He also is Visiting Lecturer, Organizational and Professional Communication (Graduate), at Regis College in Weston, MA. Prior to his move into academia, Kirk practiced nonprofit and government public relations and marketing for more than 35 years in the US as well as Asia. Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Kirk is a former member of PRSA’s national Board of Directors and has held leadership positions with PRSA Educators Academy and PRSA Northeast District as well as with the Boston and Hawaii PRSA chapters.

 

 

PRStudChat

PRStudChat Announcement: Public Relations: But Is It Ethical?

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PRStudChatOn October 1, 2013 at 8:30 p.m., #PRStudChat will present “Public Relations: But Is It Ethical?” for our students, educators and professionals. The session will focus on ethics in public relations and the ever-changing challenges confronting PR professionals. Students will get a chance to test their knowledge of ethics, and professionals will have the opportunity to share insights and experiences.

Our co-presenters for the evening are two seasoned public relations professionals now teaching the next generations of PR practitioners:

Marlene Neill, Ph.D., APR, is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media at Baylor University and teaches courses in public relations, writing for new media and writing for the mass media. She also serves as the faculty adviser for the Baylor PRSSA chapter. Her research interests include public relations management and ethics. Her first journal article, “PR Professionals as Organizational Conscience,” was published in the December 2012 edition of the Journal of Mass Media Ethics. Prior to joining the Baylor faculty, she worked for more than a decade in government and nonprofit public relations and nearly four years as a reporter for KCEN-TV.

Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is a veteran public relations professional with experience directing communication programs for nonprofit, federal government, member services, and technology organizations both nationally and internationally. He is Associate Professor in Curry College’s Communication Department and oversees activities of the department’s public relations concentration. He also is faculty adviser for the Curry College PR Student Association. Kirk has written guest posts on ethics for PRSA’s blog, “PRSAY,” Deirdre Breakenridge’s excellent “PR Expanded,” Shonali Burke’s “Waxing Unlyrical,” and his own blog, “A Professor’s Thoughts.”

The session will include questions on ethics that will challenge participants’ knowledge of the history and the deeper meaning of “ethics” and other materials including a brain-teasing case study posted on SlideShare. A few of the questions that we’ll be asking our panel of professors and our community members will be:

Q1: How would you define “ethics” to your 10-year-old cousin?

Q2: Why do you think ethics is considered an important aspect of public relations practice?

Q3: What can you do when you are faced with an ethical dilemma? Are there any techniques to effectively raise your concerns?

Q4: How do you think social media has changed the concept of ethical public relations practice? Or has it?

Q5: Will it be easier or harder for PR professionals to act ethically as communication methods continue to evolve?

Q6: What do you think makes it easier or harder to raise ethical concerns in the workplace?

…and much, much more!

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

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