German experiences with codes and their enforcement

Abstract

Purpose

This is a general review of the German concepts and provisions for the self‐regulation of PR practitioners. They differ from the various systems published so far in this Journal (Vol. 8 No.1, 2003). The purpose of the paper is a contribution to the actual debate about the most appropriate approach to tackle ethical problems of the guild.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first describes the structure and the procedures of the German PR Council, outlining a number of peculiarities: this body censures not only members of the supporting associations but non‐members and non‐PR professionals as well; it acts publicly; it pronounces and publishes verdicts and rebukes, and it issues specific rules of conduct in the case of uncertainties. Consequently the paper deals with the methods of conceiving codes and guidelines. It explains the differences which German practitioners discern between ethical and quality provisions. Within this context it discusses the German reservations with regard to some of the proposals of the newly formulated “Global Protocol on Ethics in Public Relations”.

Findings

This proposition induces a discussion about the ethical principles which guide the Council's endeavours. The paper proposes a shift in the moral assessment of the four Grunig models from dialogue to information activities as the prime moral challenges. As a result of these findings the paper states the Council's legitimacy.

Originality/value

Finally, the paper reports the various reactions of those who have been rebuked. It gives an evaluation of the Council's influence on the practice of PR in Germany based on new surveys and facts. The German experiences with the enforcement of codes are summarised as an ongoing process of self‐assurance of the PR guild and its public esteem.

Citation

Avenarius, H. (2007), "German experiences with codes and their enforcement", Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 99-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/13632540710747343