Press release -
Disguised earned media tactics “entirely unacceptable”- PRCA
The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has issued a reminder to its members and the broader industry on the importance of ethics and professional standards in media relations.
The reminder follows reports of a PR agency offering payment to journalists in exchange for press coverage on behalf of clients.
The agency responsible is not a PRCA member.
PRCA Director General Francis Ingham said:
“It is entirely unacceptable for PR professionals to offer payment to journalists for articles disguised as earned media. We’re not in the business of bribery.”
“Ethics and trust in media have never mattered more; the public have a right to know when an article has been paid for.
“PR professionals and journalists both have a duty to uphold professional standards. It is vital the boundaries between paid and earned media are respected."
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The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is the world’s largest professional PR body.
We represent more than 35,000 PR professionals in 82 countries worldwide. With offices in London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and Buenos Aires, we are a global advocate for excellence in public relations.
Our mission is to create a more professional, ethical, and prosperous PR industry. We champion - and enforce - professional standards around the world through our Professional Charter and Code of Conduct. The Code compels members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice.
We deliver exceptional training, authoritative industry data, and global networking, and development opportunities.
We also manage the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) - the umbrella body for 41 PR associations and 3,000 agencies across the world, and LG Comms – the UK’s national body for local government communicators. Additionally, we support the delivery of the Motor Industry Communicators Association (MICA).
