ETHICS: CODES OF CONDUCT

The government press office exists in two realms at once. You represent the government's position to the public, but in a sense you also stand for the interests of the press and the people inside the government. This dual role will put you in some difficult moral positions on occasion.

As a press spokesperson, what do you do if your boss tells you to withhold from the press information that is not classified? What do you do if your boss lies to the media, and you know it?

Government press officials have to deal with these questions in every country, including in the United States. To help them do this, many have developed codes of ethics.

Those value systems, by which a person determines what is right or wrong, fair or unfair, just or unjust, set acceptable norms of behavior for working professionals and employees. They are the conscience of a profession. Equally important, a well-recognized code of ethics can give an employer a clear understanding of the standards of behavior that his or her employees will follow.

Government spokespersons must make decisions that satisfy the public interest and their employer, as well as their personal values and professional standards. Because these values can be in conflict, codes of conduct are, ultimately, a measure of correct behavior. In essence, credibility is critically important to a press spokesperson. Although it is important to show loyalty to an employer, anything less than total honesty with the media will destroy a spokesperson's credibility, and ultimately destroy that person's value to an employer as well.

The trust of the media in a spokesperson is hard earned, achieved only over time through highly professional and ethical performance. Thus, the first goal of an ethical communicator is to truthfully communicate the reality of an event, an issue, a policy, or a plan.

While it might seem that the government and the press should be adversarial in their codes of behavior, in a democracy their codes have many principles in common. In the United States, for example, government communicators and press codes of behavior all mandate that a professional be responsible, truthful, and accurate; not have conflicting interests; work in the public interest; be fair; and be a steward of the public's trust.

On the subject of truth and accuracy, the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE), in its code of conduct, states: "Good faith with the reader is the foundation of good journalism. Every effort must be made to assure that the news content is accurate, free from bias and in context, and that all sides are presented fairly." It goes on to say that significant errors of fact, as well as errors of omission, should be corrected promptly and prominently.

Similarly, in its code of ethics, the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) says that government communicators will "intentionally communicate no false or misleading information and will act promptly to correct false or misleading information or rumors."

Both ethics codes say that their professionals will serve the general welfare, not themselves, and that they will be responsible for the work they produce. Regarding public interest and public trust, the ASNE code states that freedom of the press belongs to the people. "It must be defended against encroachment or assault from any quarter, public or private. Journalists must be constantly alert to see that the public's business is conducted in public. They must be vigilant against all who would exploit the press for selfish purposes." The NAGC code says that government spokespersons must "conduct their professional lives in accord with the public interest, in recognition that each of us is a steward of the public's trust."

The ideals expressed in these codes provide a guide, but how can ethical issues be tackled in places where they might not have been thoroughly thought out? Public information practitioners could consider the following:

• Write up codes of ethics for government spokespersons and circulate them widely both to those in the profession and to the employers as well.
  
• Have meetings of government spokespersons. Form professional associations and clubs. Peer pressure to perform to certain levels of behavior can be a counterweight to unethical actions. And talking about frustrations, common interests, and conflicts may help reduce them.
  
• Enhance educational programs for those who want to go into press relations.
  
• For those already in the profession, encourage training both in country and out of country. Seeing how others perform offers the opportunity to pick up best practices.
  
• Establish publications, newsletters, and Web sites to exchange information on dealing with similar problems.

The following provides the key sections from the ethical code of the National Association of Government Communicators.

"Members of the National Association of Government Communicators pledge and profess dedication to the goals of better communication, understanding, and cooperation among all people.

"We believe that truth is inviolable and sacred; that providing public information is an essential civil service; and that the public-at-large and each citizen therein has a right to equal, full, understandable, and timely facts about their government. Members will:

• Conduct themselves professionally, with truth, accuracy, fairness, responsibility, accountability to the public, and adherence to generally accepted standards of good taste.
  
• Conduct their professional lives in accord with the public interest, in recognition that each of us is a steward of the public's trust.
  
• Convey the truth to their own agencies' management, engaging in no practice which could corrupt the integrity of channels of communication or the processes of government.
  
• Intentionally communicate no false or misleading information and will act promptly to correct false or misleading information or rumors.
  
• Identify publicly the names and titles of individuals involved in making policy decisions, the details of decision-making processes, and how interested citizens can participate.
  
• Represent no conflicting or competing interests and will fully comply with all statutes, executive orders, and regulations pertaining to personal disclosure of such interests.
  
• Avoid the possibility of any improper use of information by an 'insider' or third party and never use inside information for personal gain.
  
• Guarantee or promise the achievement of no specified result beyond the member's direct control.
  
• Accept no fees, commissions, gifts, promises of future consideration, or any other material or intangible valuable that is, or could be perceived to be, connected with public service employment or activities.
  
• Safeguard the confidence of both present and former employees, and of information acquired in meetings and documents, as required by law, regulation, and prudent good sense.
  
• Not wrongly injure the professional reputation or practice of another person, private organization, or government agency.
  
• Participate in no activity designed to manipulate the price of a company's securities.

"When a member has evidence or suspicion that another has committed an unethical, illegal, or unfair practice, including violation of this statement, the member shall present the information promptly to a proper authority, who may include the president of NAGC or the chairperson of the NAGC Ethics Committee. Members found to be in violation of the organization's Code of Ethics may be asked to leave the NAGC."