The Internet has changed American public relations and the media, posing both threats and opportunities to the industry. The trend towards vertical integration in the media means that stories will be re-purposed, increasing the risk that erroneous material could be repeated across platforms. Given the reliance of individual investors on news sources such as Yahoo Finance, CNBC, or CNN/FN, speed to market is a critical competitive advantage. Pressured to maintain an accelerated flow of information, media is increasingly posting news releases directly onto wire services or public web sites. In this hyper-accelerated environment, public relations professionals are no longer merely intermediaries - they are direct content providers. This new role comes with a greater responsibility for accuracy and fairness. To not take this new challenge seriously threatens the credibility and reputation of the profession and risks breaking the public's trust.

In this new world of immediacy and transparency, public relations practitioners have a tremendous opportunity that can be easily squandered by tolerating ethical breaches such as lurking anonymously in chat rooms, spinning tales through unnamed sources, or posting false information on financial web sites during takeover battles. Our industry must insist on publisher-level quality in our content so that end users can have complete confidence in our efforts.

The Arthur W. Page Society is recognized as the steward of principled practices and values in the industry. The Page Principles, which have served as the foundation for ethical corporate and agency practices, should be applied to public relations on the Internet. In this way we will earn the trust of end users, supply credible information and facilitate interactive dialogue.

Over the next few months, the Society will examine and discuss developing this code collaboratively with other professional associations. The following draft is a starting point for discussion.

Over the next few months, the Society will examine and discuss developing this code collaboratively with other professional associations. The following draft is a starting point for discussion.

1.	Present Fact-Based Content: Let the public know what's happening honestly and accurately. a. Provide content that is timely, on the record and based on facts. b. Know your subject and of what you speak. c. Reveal the background of experts.
2.	Practice Transparency: The digital world is open and transparent; the practice of public relations should conform to these new standards. a. Fully identify any chat room participation. b. Acknowledge sponsorships of publication. c. Explain any ownership or stakeholder roles.
3.	Earn the Public's Trust: Listen to and understand what the public wants and needs; inform and educate multiple stakeholders. a. Create opportunities for direct interaction with experts, encouraging dialogue. b. Self-monitor media and chatrooms to assure accuracy of content. c. Inform and educate all stakeholders simultaneously as information becomes available.