At its core, Lakeland public relations, well, handle the public. It is a company’s way of managing the public’s image of them by providing them with the information that they need to form a favorable view of the company. 

However, in the digital age, it can be fairly easy to go overboard with the amount of information a public relations professional can give to the general public. And because of the internet, once the information is out there, then it’s out there with no chance of getting back. 

These are all factors that lend to the importance of understanding the ethical and legal ramifications of the information that a Lakeland public relations professional gives to the public. Here is what you need to know about it. 

Be wary of on social media

The digital age has given businesses of all sizes to reach out to a wider audience thanks to platforms like social media. 

However, because of how easy it is to get information out there, it is very easy to get caught up on your social media posting and accidentally provide information on something or someone that you didn’t intend to. In fact, posting on social media and other online outlets have led to some of the most disastrous public relations stunts ever. 

If you’re going to be using social media for a public relations strategy, it’s very important that you review each and every post or photo that you share on your social media platforms to make sure that you don’t end up sharing content that doesn’t belong to you. 

Be mindful of copyright

One of the biggest issues that public relations are going to face if they’re not careful is copyright infringement. If you’re not yet familiar with this, this refers to the use of content that you do not have permission to use, especially in a public or a commercial setting. 

Remember that you’re going public with the information that you have, which means that if you’re using copyrighted content, you’re definitely going to be dealing with certain legal consequences. 

If you need to use a piece of content, an image, or even a music clip, make sure that you have all of your legal bases covered to avoid any sticky legal issues later on. 

You will be dealing with copyright and plagiarism

Not only do you have to be mindful of copyright, but you need to pay attention to plagiarism as well. While it does sound similar to copyright infringement, the main defining factor of plagiarism is the use of another’s content without crediting them, and this is a huge ethical issue in the Lakeland public relations industry. 

Again, as mentioned above, make sure that you obtain all permissions needed to use content that isn’t yours. Even if you don’t like the idea of paying for a license or royalties, it is infinitely less costly than having to deal with a lawsuit.