APR Professional Ethics & Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PR practitioner discovers their client is planning to announce misleading financial projections. What is the PRSA Code-compliant response?
- Distribute the release as the client instructs
- Advise the client against the release and refuse to distribute false information (Correct answer)
- Distribute the release but add a private disclaimer
- Consult a competitor for guidance
Correct answer: Advise the client against the release and refuse to distribute false information
The PRSA Code obligates practitioners to be honest and to refuse to distribute false or misleading information on behalf of clients.
Question 2: Which PRSA Code provision addresses the duty to safeguard confidences and private information of clients?
- Disclosure of Information
- Free Flow of Information
- Safeguarding Confidences (Correct answer)
- Conflicts of Interest
Correct answer: Safeguarding Confidences
The Safeguarding Confidences provision requires practitioners to protect private client information and not reveal it without permission.
Question 3: An APR practitioner is asked to create a front group that obscures the true sponsor of a public campaign. This violates which core PRSA principle?
- Loyalty
- Expertise
- Independence
- Disclosure/Transparency (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Disclosure/Transparency
Creating front groups to hide the real sponsor violates the PRSA principle of disclosure and transparency about the identity of clients.
Question 4: Under the PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values, what does 'advocacy' mean in an ethical context?
- Promoting only the practitioner's personal views
- Serving as responsible advocates for clients while respecting the public interest (Correct answer)
- Defending clients against legal action
- Advocating for higher PR industry wages
Correct answer: Serving as responsible advocates for clients while respecting the public interest
Ethical advocacy means serving as a responsible advocate for clients while maintaining respect for the broader public interest.
Question 5: A practitioner accepts a gift from a vendor who is bidding for a contract the practitioner influences. Which PRSA Code provision is most directly implicated?
- Free Flow of Information
- Conflicts of Interest (Correct answer)
- Safeguarding Confidences
- Enhancing the Profession
Correct answer: Conflicts of Interest
Accepting gifts from vendors who seek favorable decisions creates a conflict of interest, violating the Conflicts of Interest provision.
Question 6: Which statement best describes the PRSA's enforcement mechanism for its Code of Ethics?
- Members face criminal prosecution for violations
- PRSA can revoke licenses to practice PR
- The Code relies primarily on voluntary compliance and peer accountability (Correct answer)
- Violations are reported to state licensing boards
Correct answer: The Code relies primarily on voluntary compliance and peer accountability
The PRSA Code is voluntary; enforcement relies on members' own commitment to ethical conduct and professional peer accountability rather than legal penalties.
Question 7: A PR practitioner working in-house at a corporation realizes their employer is directing them to suppress legitimate safety concerns from the public. The ethical course of action is to:
- Follow employer instructions since loyalty is paramount
- Whistle-blow immediately without any internal attempt
- Raise the concern internally, and if unresolved, consider withdrawing from the assignment (Correct answer)
- Issue a personal press release contradicting the employer
Correct answer: Raise the concern internally, and if unresolved, consider withdrawing from the assignment
Practitioners should first attempt to resolve ethical issues internally; if the employer refuses to act responsibly, withdrawal from the assignment may be necessary.
APR Professional Ethics & Standards 2
A PR practitioner discovers their client is planning to announce misleading financial projections.
What is the PRSA Code-compliant response?