Ethics Is Not a September Initiative
Each September, the Public Relations Society of America recognizes Ethics Month, providing an important opportunity for PR practitioners to revisit the principles that guide our profession. But ethics shouldn’t be something we discuss only once a year. For public relations professionals, ethics should guide us each and every day – in every recommendation we make, every message we develop and every relationship we manage.
We are advocates for our clients and organizations, but advocacy does not give us permission to mislead, omit essential context or present speculation as fact. Our credibility is solely based on providing accurate information, correcting errors promptly and being honest about what we know and what we do not. Sometimes the most ethical thing we can do is also the most difficult: telling a client or colleague that a proposed approach may achieve a short-term objective but create lasting damage to trust and reputation.
We talk a lot about transparency and authenticity – people want to know who is communicating with them, whose interests are represented and whether the information they receive can be trusted. Transparency doesn’t mean sharing every detail, particularly when confidentiality or legal considerations are involved. But it does mean avoiding deception, disclosing relevant relationships and communicating in a way that is consistent with the organization’s actions and values. Authenticity is not a tone of voice; it is alignment between what an organization says and what it does.
AI adds a new dimension to these responsibilities. AI can help communications professionals research topics, analyze information, generate ideas and create content more efficiently. But efficiency is not a substitute for judgment. AI-generated material can contain inaccuracies, reproduce bias and create content that sounds credible even when it is not. Every AI-assisted product MUST BE reviewed by a knowledgeable person who can verify the facts, consider the context and ensure the final work reflects the organization’s voice and values.
Organizations should establish clear expectations about which AI tools may be used, what information may be entered into them and when disclosure is appropriate. Confidential client, employee or organizational information should never be uploaded without proper safeguards. Images, quotes, statistics and sources must be verified, and AI should never be used to fabricate people, endorsements, experiences or expertise. If we would be uncomfortable explaining how something was created, that is a good indication that we should reconsider the approach.
Earlier this year, the Public Relations Global Network’s 2026 Influence Insights Survey results reinforced why these choices matter. The global research found that trust and reputation remain the leading drivers of brand influence, followed by authenticity. Nearly half of respondents said AI enables more efficient content creation, but they also acknowledged concerns about differentiation, authenticity and trust. The lesson is clear: organizations may be able to produce more content than ever before, but volume alone does not create influence. Credibility does.
The PRSA Ethics Month observance is a valuable reminder that public relations professionals are more than communicators. We are counselors, advocates and stewards of trust. Technology will continue to change how we do our work, but it does not change our obligation to do that work responsibly. Truthfulness, transparency and authenticity remain the foundation of effective public relations, and protecting that foundation is a responsibility we carry, not just in the month of September but every day.
