Dubai: The talk about ethics has always been on the agenda and vision statements of PR agencies... but now, it’s topping the agenda.

After the spectacular implosion of Bell Pottinger’s UK operations — over the way it handled a client’s affairs in the cauldron of South African politics — ethics and how agencies should go about practising have become a hot potato issue.

The grouping of PR firms in the Middle East is not taking the view that it happened elsewhere and not germane to these markets.

“The reviewing of our code of ethics is undertaken annually,” said Ray Eglington, who holds the current chair of Middle East Public Relations Association (Mepra). “We have seen what has happened this year in other geographies, and we are taking into account the amount of attention being given to ethics.

“We’re also talking to — and hearing from — members about this, to take in their views on how ethics [are] reflected in the region and what we as a body can do to promote ethical behaviour.

“For me and for the board, it’s good to see that ethics [are] being discussed so widely in the industry, especially given how much more we as a function are responsible for. It’s also interesting to note that ethical issues are not just being tackled in what’s often called the emerging world, but also [in] London and Washington, where there’s less debate as to what ethics is.

“As the trade body for the Middle East region, we have to be part of this global discussion about how we define what is — ethically speaking — [the] best practice, and advise our members on how to behave in a manner that promotes what we do as an industry.”

As in advertising, how communications plays out in social and digital media has a dominant impact on PR strategies and responses.

“Our members are working across all different types of media, and with more stakeholders than they ever have done before,” said Eglington.

“These changes do mean that we have to regularly review our code of ethics, so that we ensure [they are] both relevant and practical to our members and the region. However, the qualities which underpin our code of ethics don’t change. These are honesty and integrity with those that we deal with, transparency in terms of our work and the importance of confidentiality.”

And in making sure everyone in the industry sticks to playing their part in making sure this is the case, Eglington said: “We are open to any organisation, department or individual which operates in the public relations space, such as social media agencies, monitoring firms or ad agencies who are adding public relations to their mix of services.”

Mepra, meanwhile, is tying up with Chartered Institution of Public Relations (CIPR) to spread the word of best practices and accountability. The alliance will offer a “new training curriculum”, whereby Mepra members will have free access to CIPR’s online continuing professional development (CPD) platform. It will then help the participants with planning, managing and recording all the activities they do. The programme is voluntary.

London-based CIPR represents one of the largest membership organisations for PR practitioners in the world.

“Research conducted by Mepra has shown that more than 75 per cent of PR and communication professionals in the UAE believe that internationally-recognised professional accreditation is important,” said Eglington. “But fewer than half have any professional accreditation or academic qualification in PR. Mepra members will gain access to more than 1,200 learning activities including webinars, fact-sheets and best practice guides through the online platform. The partnership with Mepra is CIPR’s first with any industry body worldwide.”

The participants need to earn 60 CPD points each year to complete their CPD record. After two years, they automatically become a Mepra-accredited PR practitioner and have the option to upgrade to a CIPR-accredited PR Practitioner status (for a discounted fee). And that is a credential recognised worldwide.

After three years, they can apply to become a CIPR-chartered PR Practitioner, which represents the highest benchmark in the industry.

CIPR’s one-day courses are worth 10 CPD points.