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But, not all publicists will do this without taking a few shortcuts on
the way. Sometimes shortcuts can be beneficial – a way to speed up a
process that would normally take a longer amount of time. Other times,
not so much.

However, just as with any situation in life, ethics are always an
important, yet often sidelined topic. Sometimes this is due to a simple
oversight. While other times it’s done on purpose, so that one can

engage in unethical behavior in order to take a shortcut.
Here are five tips we have prepared on ways that one can run a
smooth, successful, and most importantly, ethical PR campaign.
1. Always Be Honest. There’s an old Russian proverb that goes:

“With lies you may get ahead in the world – but you can never go back.”
And that’s just as true when you’re sharing a story with the public. If
you present even just one lie in a story, it may possibly help you in the

short-term, but there is always a strong chance it can come back to bite
you. Not only can you ruin your own credibility as a publicist, and make
it hard or even impossible for a media outlet to ever take you seriously

again, but also if you’re a notable personality or brand, the negative
consequences can be tremendous, as your reputation is always on a
pedestal for the public to judge. Although a crisis can always be a

possibility when you’re in the limelight, one never wants to help make it
an actuality.
2. No Pay-For-Play. While it has been reported that certain
countries, such as China, for instance, only accept press releases and

stories if space within a publication is purchased, the idea of public
relations is that it is “earned media.” In other words, stories are
important enough that they are worthy of a publication’s real estate, not

bought. Paying for placement not only delegitimizes an important story,
but it is also antithetical to the whole idea of a media outlet offering a
third-party endorsement, one of the primary goals of public relations.
3. Don’t Misrepresent Facts. Similar to not lying is not distorting

facts to suit one’s needs. Think about it. If you’re a large corporation,
should you tell your shareholders your company’s stocks are only worth
$5 per share, when they’re really worth $50? Should a doctor tell his or

her patient with cancer that most people with their type of cancer live for
two years, when in reality they live for only three months? If you twist
the facts, you run a major risk in not only destroying your own and the

media outlet’s credibility, but you also deceive the public by providing
them with incorrect information.