Join in as CPRS adds its voice to the global discussion on why Ethics Matter

By Victor Vrsnik, MCM, APR, FCPRS
President, CPRS NATIONAL

This week, CPRS is proud to add its voice to the conversation on #Ethicsmatter Globally, an undertaking launched by our partners the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. CPRS offers a uniquely Canadian point of view on the issue of waning public trust in government, the media and industry.

To this end, the CPRS Ethics Task Force and the Advocacy and PR Committee both began rolling out a variety of new tools late last year to help us champion ethical public relations and communications management in Canada. For February, I’m excited to let you know that the Task Force has ramped up its output and will be releasing more tools and materials to help us guide ethical decisions in our day-to-day careers.

Kudos to the Task Force members for the outstanding achievement to elevate our ethics program to a global industry standard - Chair Kim Blanchette APR FCPRS, Lisa Covens, M.A., Dr. Terry Flynn, APR FCPRS, Colleen Killingsworth, APR FCPRS, Vince Power, APR, FCPRS, Cam McAlpine, APR, Anne McInerney, APR, Rashpal Rai, APR, Carrie Rosa, APR, and Nicole Wallace.

I hope you’ve had a chance to familiarize yourself and your teams with the our first new tool this month, the Fake News Primer. Refer to this page regularly for the latest resources to help you better understand the risks posed by disinformation and misinformation, commonly referred to as fake news.

Like you, I’ve very much enjoyed learning from our fellow members and PR thought leaders who’ve been featured in the Committee’s #PRMatters interview series. This month, I had the pleasure of sharing my own thoughts on the value of incorporating ‘enlightened PR’ in our day-to-day work, and how respecting the public interest can make ethics infectious within our teams. I invite you to listen to it below and let me know what you think.



I also have the pleasure to announce, later this month, we’ll be unveiling a new ethics decision tree, courtesy of the Ethics Task Force, which will help you and your fellow members navigate ethical dilemmas a little more easily. We’ll also be launching a nation-wide survey of public relations professionals and Canadians to measure perceptions of PR, the first survey of its kind to include the general public. This will help us create a baseline to track our progress in advocating for and promoting the profession across Canada. Stay tuned for more details in the next Communiqué.

Until then, I want to thank you all for being part of CPRS and for adding your voice to our ongoing discussions. To do so, share your thoughts on social media by following and using the #EthicsMatter hashtag. Not only will this help to amplify our combined voices, but it will also show your followers that you are a champion of ethical PR and communications.