Date: 7/22/2008

Tonic Tip: Ethical Dealings With the News Media

Achieving trust is the aim of anyone practicing public relations.

The most practical consideration in achieving trust is through your dealings with the news media - anything less than total honesty will destroy credibility, not only for you personally, but for your company as well. The news media will be depending on you as a source to provide honest information about your company that they, in turn, convey to their readers and listeners.

During your dealings with the press, if you don't know the answer to something, the only acceptable way to address this is to say you don't know, but will look into it and see if you can find a response - then follow up in a timely fashion. Never make up an answer to something you don't know or about which you are unsure. And if there is something that you simply wish not to answer, you can simply say that the particular information requested is not available at this time.

Remember, what may seem beneficial in the short- term, could come back to haunt you down the road. It is far better to build a long-standing and trustworthy relationship, than to jeopardize your credibility for immediate gain.

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