In honor of PRSA ethics month I am posting today about my own standing on ethics. In the simplest of terms, I believe in doing the right thing. Even as a child, I was that one kid who could never lie to my mother, not because I was afraid of the consequences, but because I knew it would weigh on my conscience causing a way worse punishment than my mother ever could. I believe that these early moral values have no doubt stayed with me and shaped me into the individual that I am today.

My views on ethics in the workplace are quite simple as well. When working for a particular organization, one must be familiar with their specific code of ethics, but there will always be issues in that grey area. This is why it is important (as stated in my previous post) to know who you are and what you stand for. If someone within the company is committing fraud, do you tell? If you have the opportunity to receive kickbacks under the table, do you accept? When having to answer these questions or any other similar ones that may arise I think of two things: my mother, and the New York Times. While this is certainly a strange combination, its effective. Basically, I think is this something that would make that same mother that I could never lie to as a child proud, and secondly, would I want this on the front page of the New York Times with my picture beside it. I feel that if everyone in the world did this before making crucial decisions, the world would be a much better place. Here's an example:

Years ago, the Pinto car company discovered that 1% of their vehicles, when hit from a specific angle during a collision, would burst into flames. From a business standpoint, it would cost between 10 and 20 million dollars to settle with the families of those who would certainly be killed or between 100 and 200 million dollars to recall the cars. The decision was made to leave the vehicles on the market. When I think of this occurrence, I ask myself: when the meeting to decide this occurred, did no one in the group think to speak out on the issue of ethics. Or at the least, think of their mother or the New York Times?

Learning the Ropes of Media Pitching

In a recent article I found in PRSSA Issues and Trends, Josef Adalian, editor of TheWrap.com, discusses the cardinal sins of media pitching. As a college senior, this article is of importance to me because although I know all about actually writing press releases, I feel like actually getting pitches out there is something that needs to be discussed. In the article, Adalian says that "good PR professionals turn themselves into sources rather than gatekeepers." He then goes on to discuss three important tips to help PR professionals build and maintain a positive relationship with the media. Step one is to respond quickly. This is becoming increasingly important as many news outlets post information online and want current information to be available to the public as soon as possible. Second, Adalian tells us that although facebook and twitter are great ways to reach large audiences, pitches are better off being sent via e-mail or even personal telephone calls. This way it can be more specific. Lastly, he tells of the importance of credibility. He stands by what his grandmother told him as a child, "honestly is the best policy." Lying or hiding information destroys trust, so it is important that PR professionals are honest. Ethics are a huge issue in many fields, but they become especially important in PR. Often times, one is faced with the decision to do what is right or to do what is easy. The truth is not always the easiest route, but ethically, it is the right thing to do. I believe that one has to know who they are and what they stand for, so that when they get into tough situations, they make the right decision, which always pays off in the long run.

My Skills as a PR Professional

After reading an article by Dave Fleet about the skills up and coming PR professionals need, I began to reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses. I feel that my strongest capabilities come from my writing skills, communication skills, and work ethic, while my weaknesses are mostly in the technology department.

Writing Skills: I believe that writing skills are a key advantage in almost any profession, not just PR. In college, my writing has helped me tremendously in all of my classes, even in environmental science, where my A+ on a research paper end up getting me an A in the class. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and I have had experience in lots of different areas, from being my high school yearbook editor, to writing sports, news, and features for the GCSU Colonnade.

Communication Skills: My skills as a communicator stem from the fact that I have grown up in the world of hospitality management. My parents own hotels, so I have constantly been around employees and guests, interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds. My job at Georgia College is actually centered around communication skills. As a freshman, I began working at the GCSU phonathon, calling parents and alumni and encouraging them to donate to the school. Since then, I have been promoted to phonathon manager, training and motivating our student callers to reach this year's goal of $175,000. I feel that I am a strong communicator because I not only talk, I listen.

Work Ethic: I am person who gives 100% in all that I do. I strive to be the best in any and all of my activities from my job to classes and sports. Quite simply, I like work. I enjoy being productive, and I hate free time. I have had a job since the day I turned 15 and have worked as an office assistant in a print shop, a gymnastics instructor, a nanny, an assistant to a real estate agent, and a phonathon caller and manager. Basically, I will do what it takes to get the job done.

Technology: AAAHHHHH!! I must say that before last week, I was an e-mail and Facebook only kind of girl. Expanding into the world of blogging and twitter has been a big adjustment to say the least. On my first day of blogging, I sent my teacher a Facebook message announcing the fact that i was basically blog illiterate. After four hours of what I would call "Ging's Twitter and Blogspot for Dummies," I now feel that I am on the road mastering social networking. I mean, I'm a year away from a college degree, I can figure this out :)