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In May, “Flunkster Dude,” a contributor to the online forum for the Golden State Warriors basketball team who wrote posts in support of the team, was revealed to be Raymond Ridder, a PR person for the Warriors. “It was nothing malicious at all. I just wanted to get the conversation going in a positive direction,” Ridder was reported as saying.
Don’t we all want to get the conversation going in a positive direction when it comes to representing the companies and clients we work for? And while there have, of course, always been incidents of deception in journalism and PR, somehow the advent of the Internet and social media has made this a much bigger issue.
As PR representatives and journalists for individuals and companies learn more about the benefits of Twitter and other forms of social media, questions are arising about how—and how not—to present information.
Something different about social media
While the media used is new, the questions are not. As a corporate communication professional, I’ve often written letters, newsletters, quotes in news releases, speeches, etc., on behalf of CEOs and other organizational leaders and spokespeople. That’s a common practice in corporate communication. In these situations, it is understood that the messages are from the organization, and it is assumed that they have been, if not authored by, at least reviewed and approved by the identified “spokesperson.”
That may certainly also be the case when organizations develop web-based profiles and begin interacting with the public on social media platforms. But somehow, the same practices in social media feel different.
According to Michael Smith, Ph.D., a professor of communication at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, “Twitter exacerbates some of the ethical issues that have emerged with social media and, more broadly, the Internet. The ethical issues center on the fact that Tweeters may remain largely anonymous.
“PR writers could very well disguise their affiliations and either write flattering tweets about their clients or, conversely, spread misleading or false information about a competitor. Several instances of ‘fake’ Tweeters—including one alleging to be the Dalai Lama—have already emerged.”
Should the writer of a post—or tweet—reveal who they are? Should they indicate that they’re writing on behalf of another individual or organization, or let readers draw their own conclusions? What’s right and what’s not in this new social media environment?
Transparency is key, but not always imperative
Whether blogging or tweeting, “what matters is whether the poster is perceived as an objective supporter when, in reality, they are being paid to provide support,” says Ann Latham, president and founder of Uncommon Clarity Inc., a Massachusetts-based consulting firm. But, she acknowledges, there is a fine line.
“There is nothing wrong with tweeting about your friends, clients and suppliers, while hoping they tweet about you or show their appreciation in other ways,” she says. “But, if you pose as an unbiased source and then promote for personal gain rather than relying on unbiased criteria, you have definitely crossed that line.”
David Krejci is a senior vice president in the digital communication practice for Weber Shandwick in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At its core, says Krejci, “social media is of the people, by the people, for the people.” Social media is not, he says, “a corporation talking or selling or doing.” The freedom of expression that social media allows has been welcomed and applauded. For about two or three years, says Krejci, “we felt social media was a democratizing force—people were speaking, there was no selling involved.”
Then things changed. People started using social media to promote products without revealing their identities as representatives of companies. “To say that I’m surprised that it’s happening is not true at all,” he says. “It’s not surprising that people are doing this, but ultimately it does everyone a disservice and it won’t work.” In the end, organizational reputations—and brands—can suffer.
Brand impact for companies and the PR profession
Deception in cyberspace, says Krejci, will ultimately affect the brand of the deceiver—and not in a positive way. This, of course, is an impact that most organizations do not want to experience.
Elizabeth Rack, director of marketing and communication at CDYNE Corporation, agrees. “When it comes to social media, the informality and conversational nature make it necessary to be more transparent as a business.”
“Yes, people use social media to pretend to be something other than what they are,” she explains. “But it has been my experience that in business, if other users of social media discover the discrepancy, they will often shun the organization attached. And harmful viral campaigns spread much more quickly than intentional positive ones originated by the companies themselves.”
The PR brand is also at risk. Says Smith, “The two most valuable assets PR professionals have are their command of the tools of the trade and their integrity. Those PR practitioners who try to pull the ‘tweet’ over their publics’ eyes will find that what social media giveth, it can also taketh away. There are few secrets in cyberspace, and there have been several instances when disingenuous posters were ‘outed’ by others. Although these ethical mistakes can be made in 140-character increments, the public backlash can be long, deep and damaging to a company’s reputation.”
Ultimately, if we can’t control ourselves, the government will step in to control us. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is expected to issue new guidelines later this summer in an attempt to regulate the blogosphere.
Meanwhile, the Society of Professional Journalists has been in place since 1909 and has a Code of Ethics that provides sound principles for journalists that are as valid in the Web 2.0 world as they have ever been. In an era when virtually anyone can be a “journalist,” they’re worth reviewing every now and then.
Linda Pophal, ABC, CEO of Strategic Communications LLC, is a communication consultant and business journalist with a background in corporate communication and marketing. She consults with clients on strategic solutions to their communication challenges, and writes business and employee management articles for both general and trade publications. Pophal is the author of 11 books on management and marketing issues. |
