Social Media and Other Aspects of PR

Public Relations is a vital component of all industries and businesses.  Whether a public relations professional is working for a non-profit, a business corporation, or involved in the entertainment industry, social media has become a universal tool for all practitioners.

 In Alexis Gerleit’s blog on Public Relations and Fashion she notes how social media became an emerging component of this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Gerleit mentions that at many prominent line launches, shows were aired live over the internet. By broadcasting these launches live, fashion lovers around the world had the opportunity to catch emerging fashion at the same time as celebrities, fashion elite, etc. Gerleit also writes how many designers and celebrities used social media sites, like Twitter, this fashion week. Celebrities used social sites like Twitter to let fans know which shows celebrities would be attending, but also snapping pictures and instantly uploading the images to their accounts.  

Social media has become such a dominant aspect of the PR industry that ethical conduct of online practitioners has become a heavily debated subject. One branch under the social media umbrella, blogging, is often debated as to what extent its users ethics should be questioned. I found Steph Ferris’s post on Bloggers Code of Ethics to be extremely relevant to the current state of public relations. I agree with Ferris’ opinion that if a PR pro is using a blog as a legitimate public relations tool, than all business ethics need to be incorporated into their campaign. It is irresponsible for a practitioner to not uphold a blog to the same ethical standard they would for any other element of their campaign. While I agree that a blog is often used by the general public as a mean of creative expression, when a PR pro is running/maintaining a blog for a client, ethical conduct is a necessity.

As social media continues to evolve into a dominant form of public relations, there needs to be guidelines for ethical conduct. If public relations professionals are not upheld to a moral and ethical business standard, then any reliability PR social media has is questionable. If PR pros are willing to use social media outlets as a means of gaining publicity for their client, cause, etc., then they need to be held accountable for the message they propel into the media.