CIPR unveils Social Media Code of Conduct

The UK's CIPR has unveiled its social media code of conduct through President, Tony Bradley's, blog PR Voice. You can the view the document here.

I haven't been through it yet but I hope what the CIPR has laid down is not overly prescriptive for what is a rapidly developing part of the communications industry.

I do sometimes wonder whether top-down rules are the right answer for a medium that by its very nature is self-policing...

The other thing I wonder is: who has helped the CIPR devise the Code? None of the bloggers I have spoken to recently have had a hand in it... as far as I am aware. Anyone?

More to come undoubtedly!

Comments

[Simon Wakeman]

Not me 'guv!

I'll be having a proper read over the next few days, so will post fuller comments then.

sw

[IanJGreen]

Simon,
You already know my views on this. PR is a trade not a profession - just like its opposite number Journalism. The idea that the CIPR can have a code of conduct and, more importantly, be in a position to enforce it is plain stupid. As we've discussed in the past the CIPR represents less that 25% of the PR community ie those who have bothered to become members.
It will be interesting to see what the bloggers make of this - as I believe they are closer to the issue of transparency and open-source conversations.
It will also be interesting who wrote the new code.
Ian

[IanJGreen]

Apropos earlier comment the code says: In the interpretation of this code, the Laws of the Land shall apply.
How the hell will they enforce that?

[David Phillips]

Right from the start this document says it all.

It is a PDF. In an era of rich communication, a PDF is hard to read impossible to interact with and a dead loss for 'consultation'.

This is just another 'social media' hole that the Institute has dug and is still digging.

Online polls, wiki's, blogs and interactive documentation is not hard to understand or implement.
That this is a 'PR exercise' is obvious from the top down control freak aproach and miss match of medium and message.

I await the call... some hope!