Like any occupation which takes itself seriously – and indeed occasionally has aspirations to be considered a profession in the fullest sense of the word – PR has generated its own codes of ethics, intended to set out what is expected of practitioners. There are now many such codes, as PR bodies in most countries have adopted their own versions, and there are also international codes – although the content usually overlaps. Existing and would-be practitioners need to know what such codes have to say, even if they leave quite a lot to interpretation. This chapter looks at:

What a typical international PR code of ethics says, and how it can be applied to day-to-day realities.

How far PR’s codes of ethics can be enforced.

How these codes relate to wider thinking about ethics.

How far PR can – or indeed should – become a profession, comparable to law, medicine or accountancy.