PR industry bodies sound alarm over misleading PR claims

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Malaysia and the PRactitioners Society have issued a strong warning against the rise of unethical PR service providers who are misleading clients with sensational and unrealistic promises.

These include offers of "guaranteed media coverage", "headline success without spending thousands", and "overnight fame". According to them: 

These claims blatantly distort the role and principles of public relations.

In a joint statement, PRCA's president Mohd Said Bani, and PRactitioners Malaysia's chairman P. Kamalanathan, expressed serious concern about how these claims are commodifying media relationships and undermining trust in Malaysia’s communications industry.

By reducing public relations to a transactional publicity stunt, such practices not only mislead businesses but also jeopardise the credibility and integrity of PR as a profession.

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According to both associations, public relations is not a shortcut to media exposure, it is a long-term strategic discipline focused on reputation management, stakeholder engagement, and authentic storytelling. Any firm that guarantees media placements, they argue, is distorting the reality of editorial independence and misrepresenting industry standards.

The associations highlighted particular concern over dubious agencies offering low-cost retainers bundled with media guarantees under the guise of strategic PR. These offers, they say, exploit clients’ desire for visibility, while delivering nothing more than vanity placements with no lasting impact.

Mohd Said and Kamalanathan said these practices distort market expectations and devalue the expertise of legitimate professionals who uphold the standards of transparency, ethics and accountability. 

Ethical PR firms do not and cannot guarantee media coverage.

“Editorial control rests solely with journalists and editors, not PR consultants,” the two association leads stressed. “Claims to the contrary mislead clients and degrade the integrity of the media landscape."

As part of their appeal, PRCA Malaysia and the PRactitioners Society are urging clients, media partners, and industry stakeholders to stay vigilant. They also called for stronger support from regulatory bodies and the communications community to reinforce ethical standards in PR practices.

The statement concluded with a clear message: “There are no shortcuts to reputation, no fast-tracks to credibility. We must collectively reject these unethical practices and stand united in safeguarding the future of public relations in Malaysia.”

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