Ethical Storytelling is More Important Than Ever
To uplift or to exploit? Public relations efforts help influence perceptions and build meaningful relationships, but without an ethical foundation, storytelling risks becoming less meaningful.
I recently attended a session on ethical storytelling at the 2025 PRSA Western District Conference, led by Scatena Daniels. The session was an important reminder of the importance of ethical storytelling, something that has never been more essential as media, government, and NGOs work to rebuild the public’s trust.
Whether stories come from healthcare, education, nonprofits, or other sectors, ethics must remain at the core. Before collaborating with public relations counsel, businesses should take a responsible approach by defining their core values and determining where storytelling efforts fit best within their overall strategy.
Also, public relations efforts are more than just securing media coverage and require a deep understanding of a client and their work before meaningful storytelling can begin. Invite your outside counsel to immerse themselves in your organization and ask questions.
One of HMA’s favorite ways to uncover stories and meet a team is through story mining sessions. These one-on-one meetings allow us to get to know our clients as individuals, how they work, and what media opportunities align best with their expertise. Through these conversations, we identify the personal narratives they want to share that truly represent them and their work.
Ethical storytelling means respecting boundaries, checking the facts, and being transparent about how a story will be used. The same careful approach to a partnership should be applied to storytelling to ensure that the people featured feel seen and heard. Individuals should feel comfortable and own their narratives, knowing their words won’t be twisted to fit a predetermined message.
Just like truth is at the heart of storytelling, real relationships are the heart of public relations. Connect with HMA to find out how we can support your strategy and serve as a trusted partner.
