ABSTRACT
Public relations (PR) has always had an uneasy relationship with the concept of professionalism. In January 2003, the Institute of PR (IPR) was awarded DTI funding to conduct a best practice overview of the UK PR industry. The objectives of the study were both to spotlight best practice and to show how PR contributed to the national economy and the competitiveness of British industry internationally. The Chartered IPR (CIPR) Code of Conduct was updated after a major consultation in 2000 and covers members' practice of PR; how the practitioner deals with the media, the public, employers, clients and colleagues. Several studies have examined issues which will affect the development of PR in the future. The growing market acceptance of PR signals the rise of power of the public discourse in the agendas of clueless and confused social, private and public organisational leaderships.
