CIPR and PRCA urge journalists to verify PR sources following fake expert concerns
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) have written a joint letter to journalism membership organisations and media trade titles following concerns that PR professionals have pitched stories to the media using fake “experts”.
The letter, published in full below, follows an investigation by Press Gazette earlier this month, which identified more than 50 fake experts appearing in over 1,000 articles across national and regional newspapers, magazines, and online publications.
In response, the two PR membership bodies - which collectively represent PR professionals, agencies, in-house teams, and freelance practitioners - have called on journalists to use their publicly available membership registers to verify the credentials of PR professionals and expert sources where concerns arise.
The letter highlights the fact that both organisations require members to adhere to their respective codes of conduct that promote accuracy, transparency, and ethical engagement, including with the media. These standards provide journalists with an additional safeguard when assessing the legitimacy of a PR professional, as well as access to a formal complaints process should there be concerns that standards have been breached. The use of fake experts would constitute a breach of these codes and could result in public expulsion.
A strong relationship between the media and the PR profession depends on trust, transparency, integrity, and accountability. The deliberate use of fake experts is unacceptable and undermines confidence in legitimate and ethical PR practice. Our registers exist to support journalists by providing a simple way to verify who they are dealing with and our codes of conduct make clear that misleading the media has serious consequences.
Journalists and PR professionals share a common interest in accurate, credible reporting. PRCA members are guided by our Codes of Conduct, which set clear expectations around honesty, transparency and responsible engagement with the media. By working together and making use of tools such as membership directories when questions arise, we can help reduce the risk of misinformation and support high standards for everyone.
- Find out more about the CIPR's Code of Conduct
- Learn more about the CIPR Complaints Process
CIPR and PRCA letter
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) note with concern recent reports highlighting instances where public relations professionals have pitched stories to the media featuring fake “experts”.
Promoting accurate, ethical, and transparent engagement - including with the press - is central to our respective missions. To support this, we each maintain publicly accessible directories of accredited and verified practitioners. We encourage journalists to use these resources to check whether a PR professional is a current member in good standing, should any concerns arise:
Membership of either body signals a commitment to high professional and ethical standards, including adherence to established codes of conduct. While membership is voluntary, our directories provide an additional safeguard for media professionals seeking to verify the legitimacy of a PR representative. They also offer access to a complaints process where issues warrant further scrutiny.
We welcome constructive dialogue with media organisations on how we can collectively strengthen transparency, accountability, and trust between the PR profession and the press.
Your sincerely,
Alastair McCapra, CIPR CEO
Sarah Waddington CBE, PRCA CEO
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the world's only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners with over 11,000 members.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).