Abstract

Deontological codes are a moral reflection centered on the duties and rights of a profession, which set the minimum moral standards required for its activity and which function as a self-regulating mechanism of professional praxis. This article analyzes the Public Relations codes of ethics of the public relations professional associations of Portugal and Spain to understand the common values that guide this activity. The purpose of the research was twofold: 1) to describe comparatively the public relations codes of ethics in force in the professional associations of two countries - Portugal and Spain; 2) to analyze and compare these codes following the global principles of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. Through a qualitative comparative content analysis, guided by the Global Alliance’s 16 global principles, 7 core values were identified: (1) Working for the public interest; (2) Honesty, truth and fact-based communication; (3) Integrity; (4) Transparency; (5) Deal with the public with fairness and respect; (6) Behave in such a way as to magnify the profession; and (7) Act with professionalism. Although there are nuances in the regulatory framework of the local professional associations, there are global principles of practice that stand out and demonstrate the possibility of a global code of ethics for public relations.