Does ‘Do the Right Thing’ Change Over Time? The Evolution of Ethical Guidance for Communication Professionals

The following anecdote is fictional and presents an imaginary ethical dilemma from a real-life scenario almost 50 years ago. We are not aware of IABC members who may have worked at the Ford Motor Company at the time of this crisis, or who may have influenced Ford’s actions.

The year is 1977, and you’ve just started working in communications at the Ford Motor Company, where a car called the Ford Pinto is the topic of many meetings. It seems that a potential safety flaw in the design of the pie-shaped automobile has turned into a public relations issue after numerous fatalities were reported relating to fuel tank explosions. The company has argued it would be too expensive to change the design and manufacturing process, cutting into projected profits for shareholders that year.

Through your communications lens, this is clearly an issue of business ethics. Your messaging around this is fortunately supported and guided by a brand-new Code of Ethics just published by the professional association you recently joined, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Later that year, Ford finally makes changes to meet new federal safety standards and — most importantly — to prevent further unnecessary accidents.

While the role of the communicator in this story is fictionalized, and this real-life example is a dramatic one, this imagined anecdote represents a tale as old as time: what do we do when faced with a question of ethics? Where do we turn? What guidance do we rely upon? What is our shared moral compass as communication professionals?

The answer, as is the case in almost all matters of conscience, is our community; in this case, IABC. Nearly 50 years ago, building on the work of the UK-based Charted Institute of Public Relations, the Public Relations Society of America, and perhaps most importantly, the foundation-laying Arthur W. Page Society, IABC’s first official Code of Ethics was published.

The specific authors remain unknown, but it’s highly likely that the 11 articles providing ethical guidance to communication professionals were influenced by the principles established by the Arthur W. Page Society in 1957. These principles, beginning with the imperatives to “tell the truth” and “prove it with action” laid the groundwork for an early tagline used with IABC’s Code of Ethics, “Seek the truth and speak the truth.”

While ethics had been part of IABC’s accreditation process since 1974, the code itself was launched to the association’s then-membership of almost 5,000 members three years later under then-chair Jake Wittmer. The original guidelines stood with only slight changes for the next 20 years, during which time IABC’s research foundation commissioned work that included a focus on ethics. The Ethics Committee was formed and the group developed content focused on practical guidance and case studies for members, chapters, regions and leaders. An Ethics in a Box set of presentation tools was also a popular resource for chapters and is still used today.

Many longtime members recall Wilma Matthews, past research foundation chair, from this time and beyond as a champion, a straightforward guide and skillful listener on matters of ethical grey areas. Matthews was a real-life compass for a generation of communication professionals.

In the mid-2000s, a review and update to the IABC Code of Ethics was completed to eliminate language that conflicted with communication practices outside of North America, and a chapter on ethics was included in the “The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication.”  

In 2017, the IABC Code of Ethics underwent a second update, focusing on language refinement and global considerations. Additionally, a new channel was introduced to allow members to formally request a review of potential violations of the IABC Code of Ethics. Since then, an estimated 20 cases have been considered by the committee, following a consistent and documented process. Key association volunteer leaders are reviewed against proven ethics violations before appointment and, in 2023 — after many years of work by volunteers — the board and legal counsel, sanctions were passed into policy. These sanctions gave the association additional clout in protecting members and the IABC community. Since 2018, those joining or renewing as members automatically signed onto abiding by the IABC Code of Ethics, as well as a Code of Conduct launched that same year.

In 2021, as IABC formally joined the Global Alliance, the Ethics Committee’s mandate expanded to include a focus on education. A collaboration on a global #EthicsMatters campaign brought international case studies to the forefront. That same year, “The IABC Guide for Practical Business Communication” was released, featuring a chapter on ethics authored by Barbara Puffer, another longtime foundational sage and advocate for ethics in the communication profession.

As one of the principles of the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC), as well as a key domain in the Communication Management Professional (CMP) and Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) certifications, ethics resources have been a focus for IABC. This includes several episodes on the long-running Circle of Fellows series and an IABC Code of Ethics explainer video for members and chapters to use as a resource. Recent tools for IABC’s own programs include a conflict of interest checklist for committees and an annual leaders’ ethics responsibility template.

Like all professions, our tools have evolved. Are AI-powered, self-driving cars the new Ford Pinto, or do they fulfill that Flintstones promise of future magic? Does “do the right thing” ultimately change over time? The fact that a just-released set of Guiding Principles for the Ethical use of AI by Communication Professionals is based on IABC’s almost 50-year-old Code of Ethics suggests a constancy for our north star. Watch for this to be circulated to members and spotlighted by IABC and the Global Alliance around the world.  

While powerful information is in front of us with just a few keystrokes, our sounding boards just a message-swoop away — vastly accelerated from the time-bound, manual processes of 1977 — what hasn’t changed is the power of our voice and our potential to influence economies and affect lives. This power carries responsibilities and requires our collective commitment to making consistent, responsible, ethical and legal choices.

Using our voices to advocate for this approach has never been more important. “Seek the truth and speak the truth” is a little more nuanced than it once was, depending on where you are in the world. And yet, it calls on us all to do as we’ve always done — do the right thing.