Some interesting ethics stories over the past few weeks including Fake experts, fake entries, fake photos and more. CIPR deserves credit for calling out some of the most egregious issues.
- Unethical Wikipedia editing – CIPR calls out firms for the unethical use of subcontractors for wikilaundering
- Fake experts – CIPR and PRCA responded to a Press Gazette report that found 1,000 articles in the British press attributed to 50 fake, non-existent and AI-enhancedexperts (everything from fake psychiatrists to fake royal cleaners to seemingly tireless AI gardeners). The two organizations called on UK media to check the credentials of the PR pros with whom they work.
- Fake photo or “meme” – This blog tends to keep out of politics, there are many, many other blogs for that. In this case though this article raises an interesting ethical question – when is it appropriate to modify a photo and call it a meme?
- S&T Live Recap: Ethics, Trust and the Human Role in AI-Powered PR – PRsay – A great interview on the revised PRSA AI Ethics guidelines (to which I contributed)
Mark W. McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA, is the general manager of C+C's Boston office. C+C is a communications agency all about the good and purpose-driven brands. He has more than 20 years of tech and fintech agency experience, served as the 2016 National Chair of PRSA, drove the creation of the PRSA Ethics App and is the host of EthicalVoices.com
Latest posts by Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA (see all)
- This Week in PR Ethics (2/3/26): Fake posts, fake experts and fake photos - February 3, 2026
- Climate, Truth, and the Ethics of Saying No - January 12, 2026
- This Week in PR Ethics – 1/7/26: Robots, Start Ups and Oh So Many Failures - January 7, 2026
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