Professional Values and Standards of PR Industry in Pakistan: A Comparison with International Practices

This article analyses the status of professional practice in the public relations industry in Pakistan in terms of the application of professional values. The adoption of professional values by public relations practitioners is explored by interviewing public relations practitioners. The conceptions of professional values have been taken from the Public Relations Society of America's code of professional standards. Ten qualitative interviews were conducted with practitioners from the government sector. The results explained the conditions of the public relations landscape in Pakistan in terms of professional practice and maturity. The applications of professional values are less in practice due to factors including lack of professional organization in PR, lessre cognition of PR apparatus by the management, less professional training opportunities, weak research infrastructure in PR departments,and professional attitude of the practitioners while performing day today obligations.