By Raymond A. Martino

When a company takes a moral stand on a public issue, should its stakeholders shudder or celebrate? For a PR professional, defending an organization’s core principles is one way to protect its most valuable asset: reputation.

In recent years, a multitude of financial scandals has rocked such industries as energy, accounting, and telecommunications, bringing down Enron, Arthur Andersen, and WorldCom, among others. Yet in the midst of all this corruption, research has shown that the American public continues to show confidence in many of its largest companies. It is no coincidence that respected companies know the value of their reputations and manage them accordingly.

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