PR ethics: accuracy, disclosure, and editorial independence

Good PR should help people understand the company accurately. Be clear about what you know, disclose relevant commercial relationships, respect confidentiality, and correct mistakes. An agency should make those habits easier to maintain, including when a more dramatic claim would be easier to pitch.

The PRSA Code of Ethics is a useful professional reference on accuracy, disclosure, confidentiality, and fair dealing. It is a voluntary standard for PRSA members, not a substitute for the law or your agreement.

Make the claim match the evidence

Fictional example: A product worked well in one customer's limited pilot. Describing it as “proven across the industry” goes beyond the evidence. A credible agency will preserve the context or help find stronger support.

Check consequential facts with the person who knows them. That includes customer results, technical performance, financial numbers, and security or health claims. Get permission to use a customer's name or experience.

The FTC's advertising substantiation policy requires a reasonable basis for objective U.S. promotional claims before they are made. Regulated subjects can require additional review.

Be honest about payment and authorship

A sponsored article can be useful. So can an expert article drafted with editorial help. Problems arise when the audience is misled about the source, commercial relationship, or expertise behind the work.

Ask what an opportunity actually involves: independent selection, paid distribution, sponsorship, or company publishing. Follow the publisher's rules for authorship, AI assistance, and disclosure.

The FTC provides guidance on native advertising and material connections in endorsements. Requirements depend on the circumstances and jurisdiction.

Fabricated experts, invented quotes, fake reviews, undisclosed paid advocacy, and misleading identities are reasons to stop the work.

Respect information and editorial boundaries

Agree on what the agency may share and which tools or outside collaborators may receive confidential material. Use appropriate access rather than sharing personal credentials. If personal data, privileged information, or regulated material is involved, bring in the relevant specialist.

AI-assisted work still needs human checking. Generated facts, sources, and quotes must not be presented as real without verification.

A reporter may reach a conclusion you dislike. Reuters' standards explain why its newsroom retains editorial control. Asking for a factual correction is different from demanding favorable coverage.

Respond plainly when something is wrong

Tell the agency promptly about an error. Establish the correct fact, correct company-controlled material, and work with the agency to notify anyone who received the mistake. The newsroom decides how to handle errors in its own reporting.

Serious problems involving safety, privacy, securities disclosures, litigation, or deliberate deception need the appropriate specialist and leadership response. For ordinary work, the practical standard is straightforward: make accurate claims, be candid about interests, and fix mistakes rather than defend them.