There are mobile business apps designed to make users more productive, more organized and more collaborative, and now there is an app to help guide public relations professionals in making ethical decisions.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has made its Code of Ethics mobile.

The largest professional organization serving the U.S. public relations profession has developed a new mobile app, in partnership with MSLGROUP,  that will make public relations professionals more aware of the principles and guidelines that underpin ethical decision-making in internal and external communications. The app will provide an easy reference that members can turn to quickly at any time as part of their daily practice.
 
The PRSA Ethics app is based on the PRSA Code of Ethics, public relations’ oldest code of professional conduct. Written in 1954 and updated in 2000, the PRSA Code of Ethics guides the behavior of PRSA’s 32,000 professional and student members and continues to serve as the de facto ethical guide for the profession.

It espouses “professional values” including advocacy, honesty, independence, loyalty and fairness, and “provisions of conduct,” such as being honest and accurate in all communications, revealing the sponsors of interests represented, safeguarding client confidences and avoiding conflicts of interest.

When Joan Stewart (aka the Publicity Hound) spoke to the Central Iowa chapter of the Public Relations Society of America this week, she explained seven ways journalists use LinkedIn Groups:

• The join Groups devoted to topic they cover, and hunt for story ideas.

• The can see you answering other people’s questions. If they’re impressed and want to  know more, they can contact you directly from within the Group even if they aren’t connected to you.

• They look for industry trends.

• They post status updates asking for specific types of sources they need to interview.

• Some journalists, like Michele Hollow, have their own LinkedIn groups and post queries for stories they’re working on. She’s a freelancer who writes about lifestyle topics for many big newspapers and magazines. She has a Pet News & Views group on LinkedIn.

• They use Groups to fact-check.

• They conduct interviews right there.

Publicity Hounds who spend time building the relationship with journalists in LinkedIn Groups and on sites like Twitter will get much farther than those who pitch.

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at www.publicityhound.com and receive by email the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

Students studying public relations got some encouraging news this week.

Public relations specialist was one of only three creative services occupations that made U.S. News & World Report’s Best Jobs 2012 ranking. 

“Clearly, thinking with the right side of your brain could pay off in the long run,” the report said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 22.5 percent employment growth for PR specialists between 2010 and 2020.

It’s important for new PR specialists to be skilled in the use of social media.

“With the onset of social infrastructure such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest, combined with the versatility of web tools, the jobs of public relations specialists are growing at a fast clip,” said Gerald Corbett, chair and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America.

Below are three final candidates for a modern definition of public relations that resulted from the Public Relations Society of America-led “Public Relations Defined” initiative.

These definitions were developed by PRSA’s Definition of Public Relations Task Force, in consultation with 12 global partner organizations, following a review of nearly 1,000 submissions and hundreds of online comments and blog posts by public relations professionals around the world.

The modern definition of public relations, which PRSA will formally adopt, is up to you.

Option #1: Public relations is the management function of researching, communicating and collaborating with publics to build mutually beneficial relationships.

Option #2: Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.

Option #3: Public relations is the strategic process of engagement between organizations and publics to achieve mutual understanding and realize goals.

Please vote on which definition you feel best exemplifies the role and value of public relations.

Cast your vote.

The winning definition will be announced the week of Feb. 27, 2012.