By Greg Hazley
The Middle East PR Association, a trade group for the PR sector in that region, has for the first time fined a member firm for an ethical breach.
MEPRA said it fined Dubai-based d'PR 15,000 dirhams (about $4,000) for editing a photograph from the group's annual awards banquet – at which the firm won Agency of the Year honors – and sending that image to the press.
The original image, top, and the doctored version disseminated by d'PR. |
The agency apparently removed the logos of sponsors from the MEPRA-supplied photograph like Hill & Knowlton and Grayling and inserted d'PR's own logo into the shot.
D'PR won the group's Agency of the Year honors and three other awards at the event.
MEPRA issued the fine and banned the six-year-old firm from its awards competition next year for the breach of its ethical code.
The firm has been placed on 12-month probation and staffers are also being required to sign MEPRA's ethics code of conduct and receive training. They are required to attend a May symposium on ethics and the firm has sent letters of apology to sponsors of the awards event.
D'PR managing director Camilla d'Abo said she is "absolutely devastated at the situation" and apologized to the group for the "undeniable mistake."
"We now realize that this action jeopardized the position of the sponsors and the code of practice of MEPRA," she said.
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George Mc Quade, Vice President, MAYO Communications, PRSA member (1/19):
Fyi, not too long ago an LA Times photographer was fired for his mosaic of Iraq war coverage piecing together a war zone with a stagnant shot. Be careful what you wish for...
Aida Mayo, president, Award-Winning www.MayoCommunications.com. (LA, NY, SD and Bern, Switzerland). (1/19):
This happens often in the entertainment trades. Just look at the cover photos of US WEEKLY, PEOPLE MAG, AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY and tell me if you think these people have perfect skin and no wrinkles for a reason? The only interesting side of this story that begs the question is, what would happen if the PRSA Ethics committee started probing complaints of PR Pros who do this, and there are other ethical violations, which have been brought to national delegates attention. Even this newsletter has mentioned there is no contact info on the PRSA website for ethical complaints. And when is the last time you saw them do something about an unethical story, or event such has having a mock FEMA News Conference to boost an image or placing reviews online by interns at large agencies misrepresenting the public for high paying clients who just can't seem to get media attention (maybe its all those trees being killed (NRs). Don't throw stones when you reside in a glass house, what happens in Dubai stays in Dubai, in America, they say it's Vegas. |