Ethical considerations in Communications: Gearing up for real-time PR

A recent webinar by Adgully, in partnership with Comms Adda, saw industry experts discuss the ethical considerations in PR, such as transparency, responsible social media practices, etc., at a panel discussion on ‘The Ethics of Communication’. Chaired by Jyotsna Dash Nanda, AVP, Corporate Communications, DS Group & Co-originator, Comms Adda, the panellists included:

Himank Tripathi, Chief Communications Officer, Baazi Games

Megha Chaturvedi, Corporate Communications Lead, Alstom

Neha Garg, Director - Corporate Communications, Axtria Inc

Manu Kumar, Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Hero Electric Vehicles

Jyotsna Dash Nanda started the discussion by noting that ethical communication is not just good for one’s conscience, but also for their business.

Manu Kumar said, “Ethics in Communication is fundamental in fostering trust, credibility, and integrity in all interactions whether it is your professional life or personal life. I think what is happening is that with technology coming in, plus with so much information flowing in the digital media, trust, and credibility must be built by brands and the corporate communication professional has the important task of ensuring from the brand side that the messages which are put out from the brand side are truthful, transparent, respectful.”

In the professional realm of public relations, ethical communication is not just a moral obligation, but it is also a strategic necessity because for the brands to build that credibility among their audience, it just takes one slippage to take it away completely. “So, I think it is very important that ethics is prioritized, communicators are transparent, truthful, and honest when they talk about building that audience,” Kumar added.

Megha Chaturvedi said, “Ethics and communication should not be an afterthought, rather it should be the first and foremost principle or tenet of communications that we abide by.”

Himank Tripathi emphasized, “I think if we are not the ones in communication taking care of what ethics are all about, then there’s no point running the business and doing anything. We are just going to open a lala shop and be very happy with the idea of cheating customers and just get with whatever we are looking for. We can set the standard in terms of being ambitious, not opportunistic or greedy. It is all about ROI, but not the way we think, which is all about making money the way we can.”

Neha Garg added here, “When you talk of ethics in PR or ethics at large in communications, it is about the value system. For me, it is about what we believe in. Sometimes we just get into the delivery mode. We forget that we are the counsel first. For me, it is being that counsel – first, do your bit, and then let’s see what happens next.”

Evolving role of ethics in PR

Manu Kumar noted that with social media and digital technology, one needs to monitor on a real-time basis to ensure that one is on top of the information news cycle that is going on. “The news cycle is 24/7 and it never stops. So, you must ensure that you are tracking those news cycles. Having said that, this is also a powder keg which we all are sitting on. With technology, you do not know what’s going to happen. There are so many channels, there are so many mediums where something can go wrong for an organization, for a brand, or an agency. So, what is exceptionally important is that at all times if we are transparent, then we don’t have to worry.”