Ethical issues are top of PROs’ agendas, due in part to the rise of social media and stricter transparency rules. According to a study of over 2,000 PR professionals worldwide sponsored by PR firm Ketchum Pleon (The European Communications Monitor 2012), six out of ten European PR professionals experience ethical challenges in their daily work.

Ethical challenges experience within the last twelve months?

Source: The European Communication Monitor (ECM) 2012

Over three quarters (78 per cent) of the surveyed professionals are in-house communicators. Findings show that ethical issues are much more relevant than five years ago, driven by compliance and transparency rules (a statement supported by 77 per cent of respondents). The majority report that the increase in social media and the international character of communication today make communication more challenging from an ethical standpoint than before. These figures show that there is a high appearance and awareness of ethical problems in the world of strategic communication. Professionals working in the areas of governmental relations, lobbying, public affairs and in the areas of online communication and social media encounter most ethical challenges. Two-thirds of them faced such problems at least once last year.

Ethical challenges in different field of practice: Public affairs and online communication are the most contested

Source: The European Communication Monitor (ECM) 2012

Avril Lee, CEO, Ketchum Pleon London says that the results of this survey suggest that that in-house PROs are on the front line, dealing with key global issues. Lee lists just a few examples of these: alleged tax minimisation issues; budget cuts; and uncertainty around incentives for renewable energy and power. Discussing the challenges for PROs today, Lee says: “The tightening European regulatory environment, as well as the increased transparency associated with digital and social media, mean that in-house PR professionals need to be savvy and knowledgeable, both in terms of their business sector and their approach to communications as never before.”

Discussing how PROs can be helped to meet today’s challenges, Lee says they should be offered more support, by firms and industry bodies: “PR industry bodies and global agencies can play a vital role in ensuring that communications professionals have access to up-to-date guidance and training, as well as opportunities to share and discuss their experiences and best practice.”

Country-by-country comparison: Spain, Norway, Switzerland, Finland and France report less ethical problems than other countries

Source: The European Communication Monitor (ECM) 2012

Where there are challenges, there are always opportunities, and Lee points out international PR agencies can combine their understanding of the increasingly complex global environment with strategic advice and high-level execution to help their clients better face this new landscape.

Background
 

The European Communication Monitor (ECM) 2012 is the latest in an annual research project that has been conducted since 2007 by a group of professors from 11 universities, led by professor Dr Ansgar Zerfass, University of Leipzig (Germany). It is organised by the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and Communication Director Magazine and is sponsored by Ketchum Pleon. This year, 2,185 professionals from 42 countries took part.