Canadians probed on perceptions of the PR industry in new survey

TORONTO, April 15, 2020 /CNW/ - In the first survey of its kind, Canada's public relations professionals and Canadians are asked to weigh in on their perceptions of the profession and the importance of professional standards and ethics for the nation's communicators.

Launched today by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), the CPRS PR Perceptions Survey builds on similar surveys in other countries with one distinction – the inclusion of the general public.

"We're looking for insights into the practice of ethics and professional standards in the PR industry," said National President Victor Vrsnik, MCM, APR, FCPRS. "This survey will give us visibility into what PR professionals and Canadians think about ethical public relations, and illuminate where there might be differences."

The initiative is all part of the CPRS push for ethical public relations, something that started in 2017 with the launch of the white paper The Elevation of Public Relations and a year-long discussion on the future of public relations and the development of a strategic framework that called for a renewed focus on ethics and promoting the CPRS Code of Professional Conduct.

"Through unprecedented engagement with members across the country, the CPRS heard loud and clear that ethics matter," added Vrsnik. "From our PR Matters podcast to our Fake News Primer and our recent Decision Tree, we're committed to providing Canadian public relations and communications management professionals with the tools and resources they need to deliver ethical, strategic communications that benefit their organizations and serve the public interest."

The survey will be sent to public relations and communications management professionals across Canada and will remain open until April 30, 2020. Canadians will weigh in through an online survey administered by Leger using their own LEO panel of more than 400,000 Canadians between April 15 and April 30, 2020.

CPRS is a society of more than 1,500 public relations professionals. Members work to maintain the highest standards and share a uniquely Canadian experience in public relations.

Leger is the largest Canadian-owned, market research and analytics company with more than 600 employees in eight Canadian and US offices. Leger has been working with prestigious clients since 1986.

About CPRS
Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a not-for-profit association of professionals dedicated to the practice, management and teaching of public relations and communications. Comprising 14 local societies, CPRS' mission is to build a national public relations and communications management community through professional development and accreditation, collaboration with thought leaders, a commitment to ethics and a code of professional standards, advocacy for the profession, and support to members at every stage of their careers.