Is spin really a bad thing - or does it just have a bad reputation?

By Tracy Jones

As a public relations professional, I’m often accused of being a “spin doctor”. Many of those who use the term do so in a disparaging way, coming from a view that all spin is “bad” and designed to mislead the audience.

But is that right? Is spin in itself a bad thing?

Consider this example:

• From one point of view: You work as a licensing inspector at the motor vehicle registry. You implement rules that make it harder for me to get a license and register my car. Your work costs me time and money.

• And from another: I work as a licensing inspector at the motor vehicle registry. I implement rules that ensure drivers and vehicles on our roads are safe. My work saves lives.

So which is spin and which is the truth?

The fact is, they’re both. Both these points of view tell the facts as they are. But they are overlaid with context that gives meaning to those facts. In the case of a licensed driver, the additional context is that rules and regulations do make it harder to get yourself and your car on the road. As an inspector, you know the job you do contributes to safer roads.

So spin is simply the telling of the truth from the context of your own position. You add meaning to the bare facts by putting them into context. And let’s face it, each of us tells the truth from our own viewpoint.

So why has “spin” attained such a bad reputation? And when is spin wrong?

• When it is designed to hurt or defame
• When it deliberately misleads or omits important parts of the truth
• When it is a lie.

There are ways to ensure your public relations consultant does not take you down the path of unethical spin doctoring.

Choose a professional who is a member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia or related world-wide professional body. They are bound by a Code of Ethics that prohibits them from such behaviour. And the Code is enforceable through the institute.

When choosing a consultancy, check they are a member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s Registered Consultancies Group. Not only are these consultancies bound by an additional Code of Conduct, their Managers are also required to ensure all employees act in an ethical manner.

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Tracy Jones is the principal of Creative Territory, a Registered Consultancy Group member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. She is a Fellow of the institute, a former National President and currently serves on the national board.

Tracy Jones honored with President's Award

Creative Territory Managing Director Tracy Jones was honoured with the President's Award at the annual Public Relations Institute of Australia Golden Target awards last night.

The awards were announced in conjunction with the National Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) annual conference, which is being held in Darwin for the first time this week.

The President's Award recognises outstanding service to the PRIA and its President.

Tracy has been a member of the National Board of the PRIA since 2004 and is the current National Treasurer. She served for two years as National President until 2009.

For more information about the Golden Target Awards winners, see
http://www.pria.com.au/blog/id/996

Ethical behaviour based on truth, trust and honesty

As members of a profession, we sign up to a Code of Ethics that helps shape our behaviour.

The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) Code of Ethics was first developed at the birth of the PRIA 60 years ago and, despite updating over the years, remains largely unchanged. We have modernised, clarified, added, subtracted and added again, but the essentials have remained intact.

This reason for this is simple - ethical behaviour is based on a basic set of beliefs centred on truth, trust and honesty.

Each profession, association or occupation may add its own set of values around specifics. For example, we have clauses that relate to remuneration and journalists have clauses relating to revealing sources. At the heart, though, are the basics - truth, trust and honesty.

I use these three values as the key to my own ethical behaviour, then overlay them with the PRIA’s Code of Ethics along with the guidance provided by the Practice Notes put together by the College of Fellows.

In the end, find a simple test to judge yourself by. Here is mine:

• Is it true?
• Is it fair?
• Is it honest?
• Is it misleading?
• Will it do unnecessary harm?
• Is it aligned to my own moral values?
• Would I be happy for my mother to know I did it?
• Would my children be proud of me for doing it?
  

Ethical behaviour is not a mantra to be framed and forgotten but a set of values that can help guide your practice and development.

As published in the PRIA National Newsletter September 2009.
Tracy is national president of the PRIA.