The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) today issued the following statement  regarding reports of unethical communications practices by Mike Winder, mayor of West Valley City, Utah. The Deseret News (Salt Lake City) reported that Winder had been engaging in deceptive communications practices on behalf of West Valley City by creating a false identity to write news stories for Utah media outlets about the city he represents. According to published reports, Winder used the pseudonym of “Richard Burwash” and contributed more than a dozen articles to the Deseret News as part of the newspaper’s citizen journalism initiative.

Statement by Rosanna M. Fiske, APR, PRSA chair and CEO:

The basic tenets of ethical communications practices, as addressed in the PRSA Code of Ethics, require that those representing organizations or governments serve the public interest by advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information. Open and honest communication is essential to serving the public interest and contributing to informed decision making in a democratic society. The PRSA Code of Ethics clearly states that it is unethical for those who represent a business or organization to engage in deceptive online practices or misrepresent one’s identity or professional affiliation, both of which Mr. Winder has admitted to doing.

Furthermore, the Society’s Code of Ethics calls for communicators to be “honest and accurate in all communications” and to “avoid deceptive practices.” Clearly, Mr. Winder’s actions failed in both regards, which is a disservice to both the public he serves and the media he tried to influence.

At a time of severely low public trust in government, it is imperative that politicians and public relations professionals represent themselves and those they serve in an ethical and transparent manner.

Rosanna M. Fiske, APR
Chair and CEO
Public Relations Society of America

Greater Salt Lake Chapter Response

Last week Mike Winder, Mayor of West Valley City, Utah, admitted to creating a false identity as a freelance writer “to try to restore balance” by increasing the number of positive news stories about his city over a two-year period. The deception included a fake Facebook page, the stolen image of a former professional tennis player, and representing himself to multiple local publications via email and phone conversations as the made-up freelance writer “Richard Burwash”.

According to Winder, everything he wrote as Burwash was “100 percent truthful, accurate, and verifiable”. He has stated publicly that he is not a member of The Public Relations Society of America and not a public relations professional, although he does serve as a director of public affairs for a local communications firm. However, at issue is how this incident reflects on professional communicators, West Valley City, and Utah.

PRSA members commit to a code of ethics designed to protect our profession and each other.  More importantly, the code is designed to promote the public good. PR professionals “serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate” (PRSA Code of Ethics, Advocacy). Further, we “adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public” (PRSA Code of Ethics, Honesty).

Yes, PR professionals advocate – often vigorously – on behalf of those we represent. Our job is to promote a particular position or organization, but we also have an obligation to provide objective counsel to those we serve and to serve the public good by increasing awareness of an issue. Many PR professionals are familiar with the Mayor’s complaint – that the organization we serve is over-represented by news stories with a negative slant, or not represented at all. His goal, he has said, was to increase positive stories about his city. His repeated defense for his actions has, in effect, been that the ends justified the means. We disagree wholeheartedly.

Increasing the positive coverage of West Valley City is exactly the kind of work a qualified PR professional would have undertaken. The methods, however, would have been quite different. Instead of setting out to deceive or mislead the public, a professional would have identified the many good things taking place in West Valley City, established relationships with media outlets and reporters, and worked to promote the city honestly and openly, keeping the city’s (and the Mayor’s) reputation above reproach. By choosing to take a shortcut via deception, Mayor Winder not only damaged his own reputation, but that of West Valley City, the city’s elected representatives, and communications professionals.

Mayor Winder chose to come clean, which was the right thing to do. He has apologized to some of those he harmed, which is the correct course of action. We hope that Mayor Winder has learned from his experience that honest and transparent promotion of his city is far more effective than other means in the long run. Certainly that is what the citizens of West Valley City and the rest of Utah deserve.

Dennis Jolley
President-elect
Greater Salt Lake Chapter
Public Relations Society of America

The last few years of economic turmoil have been difficult for nearly everyone, and PR has hardly been left untouched. As the economy (hopefully) begins to turn for the better, PRSA is taking the opportunity to look for ways to expand our influence, increase our membership, and assist our members in gaining skills, finding new opportunities, and making friends in the profession.

A major goal in 2012 will be the implementation of a new strategic plan, but in order to be successful we need the broad and diverse range of experiences, viewpoints, and skills that come from involving as many of our members as possible. That means we need YOU.

Why should YOU volunteer with PRSA?

We’ve all seen the lists of reasons why you should volunteer in a professional organization, and they generally look something like this:
On an individual level, you will

• Develop and practice important business and leadership skills
• Broaden your professional network
• Gain visibility in your field

Your organization will also enjoy benefits from your volunteer work, such as

• The application of your new management and
• Leadership abilities on the job
• Access to what works in other organizations
• The opportunity to test new ideas with other professionals before implementation.

Those are pretty good lists, and I would say that my experience in PRSA has brought me all of that. But it’s brought me more. Realistically, would I become friends with Scott Trotter, Senior Media Relations Manager for the LDS Church without PRSA? It’s highly unlikely – if only because we have “different interests”. I’m never going to run into him at church on Sunday (unless he hits me with his car while I’m out on my usual Sunday morning bike ride), and I think it’s safe to say I’m not going to bump into him at the State Wine Store very soon (although with his job, I wouldn’t blame him!). Because of my opportunity to work with him in PRSA, however, Scott is now a friend and colleague I can call on.
Volunteering with PRSA will give you the opportunity to lead, showcasing your potential. It will give you the chance to learn from others as role models, learn by doing and improve with practice. You will meet others in the profession and larger community who you may otherwise never get to know.

Look, I understand that we are all busy. Professional, personal and family obligations can more than fill your average week. But making time to participate in PRSA will payoff for you and your career. That’s something I can pretty much guarantee.

So give some thought to joining your friends, co-workers, some strangers and, yes, competitors, who have come together to volunteer in PRSA. You’ll be glad you did.

Take a few moments to fill out the attached form, and please – call me to discuss your interests and needs. I look forward to it.

PRSA 2012 Board Nomination Form

Freitas will discuss new technologies to reach consumers and measure effectiveness, such as the new EYES ON audience measurement system, as well as advancements in digital formats and how the industry is addressing environmental stewardship.

For details, read the AAF-Utah event press release.

Sadly, Josh Hamilton is Cooper’s favorite player. He even had his jersey on during the game. I wish I had space to share more details about this story. But my purpose here is to highlight the way Hall of Fame pitcher and Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan handled himself in the two press conferences following this incident.

Communicating in the immediate aftermath of a crisis is not easy. Yet, Ryan provided an excellent example for PR practitioners on how to say the right things in the right way.

He made it about the family.
” As an organization and as team members and as a staff, we are very heavy-hearted about this and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. That’s where we are tonight, our thoughts are with them and in respect to the family we won’t have any other statement tonight.”

Nolan mentioned that he called Shannon’s wife, Jenny, personally and asked how he could help her and her family.

He made it about the fans.
“As an organization we are going to be looking into this because our number one concern is the safety of our fans. We’ll do whatever we have to do to make this stadium as safe as we possibly can for our fans.”

The team has since announced it will raise the height of the railings and add signage reading: “Do not lean, sit on, or stand against rail.” And a pregame announcement will be read reminding fans of that information over the Public Address system and the scoreboards as well.

He made it personal to him.
“We’re about making memories, family entertainment,” he said. “I certainly understand – and I’m no different than our fan base – when I was younger and I went to the ballpark my hope was to get a foul ball. . . As a father and a grandfather, my heart goes out to that family and to Jenny Stone and for her son Cooper.”

Nolan Ryan also got the tone right by delivering his words in a heartfelt manner that showed genuine concern and compassion. It helped that his demeanor was calm, steady, and reserved.

In a crisis, the public wants to believe the spokesperson is competent and compassionate enough to fix the problem. In these areas, Nolan hit a PR home run. He diffused any possible controversy and made the story, not about him or the Texas Rangers, but about Shannon Stone.

1 South Main Street

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Downtown is the most diverse neighborhood in the state politically, economically, socially, and religiously. The Downtown Alliance is committed to building a dynamic and diverse community that is the regional center for culture, commerce and entertainment. Every day, the Alliance works with diverse constituents who often have competing goals to move forward a common vision and agenda. Jason Mathis, executive director of the Downtown Alliance (and past president of the Salt Lake PRSA chapter) will discuss strategies for building consensus and framing public discourse to accomplish strategic goals.

Save $5 when you register before March 11! Discount will automatically be applied at check out.

PRSA Members: $25
Non-PRSA Members: $35
Undergraduate and PRSSA Students: $10

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When I attended a U2 concert in May, I learned three important lessons from Bono about engaging with patients on my hospital’s Facebook page.

Traditionally, communicating messages was simply grabbing a megaphone and shouting as loud as you can, hoping your audience captures your message and takes action. But social media operates in a different manner—it’s shared interactions between friends.

Bono can show you how to do this.

Pay attention to your audience

Last month, more than 40,000 U2 fans packed the stadium in Salt Lake City, but each fan had a different level of interest in the concert. Some were there because someone had invited them. Others camped out the night before to be as close to Bono and The Edge as possible. During the concert, some fans swayed to the music, danced to the beat, or shouted “I love you, Bono!” Some fans just stood there and clapped on cue.

Do you have fans that fit into any one of those categories? Maybe they are only fans because a friend or family member invited them to join. After all, who can say no to “liking” a children’s hospital? Every Facebook page is going to have varying demographics and interest levels, so the more variety you have in your posts, the better chances you have of engaging more fans in your efforts.

Invite your fans to sing

Hearing U2 perform their music live is a great experience. But U2 did more than just play its hits. Between numbers, Bono took the opportunity to speak with his fans. This concert was actually scheduled in May 2010, but less than one week before the tour started, Bono injured his back and found himself in a German hospital, causing the concert to be postponed roughly 365 days.

Bono took a few moments to acknowledge the disappointment this caused his fans. He also expressed his appreciation to each person in the stadium for standing by him and providing such a warm welcome on a chilly May night. He also spoke about his work with Amnesty International. While Bono had messages he wanted to convey to the crowd, he also made the audience part of the concert.

On numerous occasions, Bono held his microphone out to the audience and encouraged them to sing the line, “It’s a beautiful day,” or “Uno. Dos. Tres. Catorce.” How often do you turn the microphone over to your fans and encourage them to share his or her voice? It can be as simple as asking your fans a question in a post, inviting them to share something on your wall, or encouraging them to repost some information to their family and friends.

Get creative with engagement

U2 fans fought to get as close to the stage as possible. Luckily for the fans, U2 provided many chances for fans to engage as they performed. Thirty minutes into the concert, Bono invited three sisters onto the stage, and together, they read a poem about Utah. Once the poem read, Bono laid across the lap of the three sisters and began singing, “It’s a Beautiful Day.” The sisters loved it. And the audience lept to their feet, applauding what they saw on stage.

On another occasion, Bono motioned for some of the fans to toss up white flags with the word “LOVE” written on them. Once he had one, he stuffed it in his back pocket, showed it off to the crowd (courtesy of a little hip shaking) and then tossed it back into the field of wooing fans.

Facebook offers numerous tools that allow organizations to engage with its audience—posts, questions, notes, photos, links, and customized tabs. But have you taken advantage of these features? If you have, what other ways can you use these same features to engage with your fans?

Follow Bono’s lead and take every opportunity to engage with your fans. Social media is moving forward, with or without you.

Jason M. Carlton is a communication specialist at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Including the U2 360 Tour concert in May, Jason has attended a grand total of two rock concerts (U2 and Bon Jovi), both of them this year. Don’t hold that against him.

This blog posting originally appeared on Ragan’s Health Care Communication News Website on June 3, 2011, and can be accessed at http://www.healthcarecommunication.com/Main/Articles/6900.aspx

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How to Break Down Walls and Strike a Balance Between All of Your Online Lives

Finding the Perfect Social Media and Communication Blend
PRSA Free Webinar Sponsored by Cision. Playback available until January 14, 2011

You’re connected on LinkedIn, have built a community around your blog and tweet from your iPhone. Still, it can be difficult to strike a balance between your personal and professional involvement with social media; your traditional media relations and social networking; and your actions as a public relations pro, marketer and customer service rep when engaging online. In this advanced webinar, Heidi Sullivan and Jay Krall will show you how to harmonize your personal and professional lives online; how different types of social media are looking more and more alike; the best practices for sharing content; how public relations, marketing and customer service can operate symbiotically on the social Web; and how to identify future trends.
How Generation Y and Seasoned Pros Can Navigate the Social Media Highway Together