Ensuring the Ethical Use of Social Media in PR

PR practitioners may encounter many ethical dilemmas when using social media to communicate with audiences. A lack of transparency, unreported endorsements, consumer privacy breaches, and misrepresentation of a brand or organization are just a few examples of improper uses of social media. 

“Regardless of your industry, it’s your responsibility as a PR practitioner to apply an ethical lens to how you engage followers on your company’s social channels,” said Bernie Petit, communications manager, The Arts & Science Council. “Better yet, it’s important to incorporate ethics into your organization’s social media guidelines.”

The PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) has created a Social Media Committee to provide guidance in the use of social media in public relations. Efforts will focus on identifying examples of improper practices, outlining best practices to ethically use social media in public relations, and promoting leadership in the implementation of policies. 

BEPS will update this guidance annually and make it available on the PRSA website. Some of the BEPS Social Committee members shared highlights about the scope of their work. 

Integrating ethics into a social media policy

Creating a social media policy is an important step to ensure ethical decision-making when using social media. It will inspire ethical employee advocacy, promote behaviors in the best interest of stakeholders and minimize reputational risks for an organization. 

“Most brands will run into either policy or ethical dilemmas at some point in their social media journey,” said Nicole Castro, principal at Nicole Lauren Consulting. “For example, in 2020 it became very popular for social media users to report derogatory remarks and hate speech to a user’s employer. While these comments may have been made during off-hours, most companies do not want their brand represented by employees who spew hate online. Having a policy in place helps the organization make known the consequences for misuse of social media channels by employees.” 

While it’s difficult to plan for every ethical dilemma that may arise within the social media landscape, integrating the values of the PRSA Code of Ethics into a social media policy will guide ethical decision-making processes and behaviors. 

“Building, earning and maintaining trust with our audiences is at the heart of what we do, no matter what form our communication takes or strategies and tactics we employ, Petit said. “So, while the challenges we face in the ever-changing social media landscape may be new, our approach to navigating these challenges remains rooted in the values espoused by our Code of Ethics, specifically honesty — arguably foremost among our professional values.” 

In the Code of Ethics, the core value of Honesty plays a critical role when communicating with social media; advancing the free flow of accurate information can be a monumental challenge. 

“Ethics are a little different in social media because it is so much easier to spread misinformation,” said Kami Huyse, founder at Zoetica. 

Huyse noted a study in the journal Science that found humans are more likely to spread false information than the truth on digital channels. Social media managers, as well as employees on every level of an organization, should be trained in how to fact-check information and know their responsibilities to adhere to their employer’s social media policy.

Understanding improper practices

The BEPS Social Media Committee is working on resources to provide guidance with ethical issues and promote best practices for social media. 

“The goal should be to reduce risk by remaining transparent throughout your social media journey,” Castro said. She noted a lack of transparency has become an increasing issue as companies tap influencers to promote their brands to target audiences. If a brand is giving any form of compensation to an influencer, it is considered a compensated endorsement and must be disclosed. 

Huyse emphasized the importance of understanding the ethical and legal use of sponsored endorsements and testimonials and being familiar with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Endorsement Guides.

Compromising consumer privacy is another ethical challenge when using social media. Data is a valuable resource to gain insight about target audiences to inform content development and foster strong brand ambassadorship. 

“Several companies, like Facebook, have landed in hot water when their users’ data is breached and made available without the user’s permission leading to several class action lawsuits,” Castro said. 

Being authentic may seem obvious; however, many brands have experienced ethical pitfalls when social media posts don’t align with their corporate values and/or operations. 

“If your brand wants to advocate for social issues, you must do it clearly and it must match your corporate values,” Huyse said. 

For example, some companies created social media posts in public support of the Black Lives Matter movement, but their corporate practices didn’t align in support of the cause. Behavior must validate communication — it’s about doing the right thing rather than just saying the right thing.

“While I know having something trend on Twitter or go viral on social media can be a point of pride, my advice would be to focus just as much — if not more — on ensuring whatever you share is accurate, truthful and informative, which positions your company or organization as a trusted and valued resource,” Petit said. 

Ethics Month 2021 Highlights

The programming this month includes two free webinars:

• “Ethical Communications in the Military: Eliminating the Say/Do Gap on the Battlefield and Beyond” on Sept. 9 at 3 p.m. 

• “Stay Humble and Keep Your Head Down: A Conversation on Ethics Like None Other With Anthony Slonim” on Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. 

Other activities include blog posts on PRsay and the new Ethics Quiz. You can also follow along with the conversation on Twitter at #EthicsMonth. Please visit the PRSA website for updates on Ethics Month programming.