Transcript public relations and ethics - Sites @ Brookdale Community College

Introduction to Public Relations
COMM 106
Fall 2013
Chapters 6 & 7 (Ethics and The Law)
Instructor: Tara Rummell Berson
Portions Copyright © 2011 Pearson
Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall,
Portions (c) 2011 Tara R. Berson
1
It’s all about credibility.

The practice of public
relations is all about
earning credibility.

Credibility begins
with telling the truth.

Public relations must
be based on doing the
right thing, or acting
ethically.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-2
What exactly are
ethics?
Great thinkers have struggled for years to answer this question. Here is one definition:
“Ethics are standards of conduct that indicate how one should behave based on
moral duties and virtues.”
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-3
Another definition of ethics

“Ethics refers to the values that guide a
person, organization, or society — the
difference between right and wrong,
fairness and unfairness, honesty and
dishonesty.”

An individual’s or organization’s ethics
come down to the standards we follow in
our relationships with others.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-4
Two classical approaches to ethics
Utilitarianism: considering the greater
good rather than individual desires.
 The Golden Mean of Moral Virtue:
seeking the middle-ground between two
extreme points of view.
 Judeo-Christian Ethic: loving your
neighbor as you would love yourself.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-5
Ethics in business: an oxymoron?

In the wake of corporate meltdowns,
scandals and CEO resignations,
confidence in business has plummeted.

American business is under heavier
scrutiny than ever before.

To reverse negative public opinion, many
companies have attempted to become
more transparent in their activities.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-6
Corporate codes of conduct


These are formal
statements of the values
and business practices of
a corporation.
They have been
developed to:
◦ Increase public confidence
◦ Stem the tide of regulation
◦ Improve internal
operations
◦ Respond to transgressions
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-7
Corporate social responsibility

All social institutions
are responsible for
the behavior
of their members.

Members can be held
accountable for
misdeeds.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-8
Ethics in public relations

Ethics should be the great differentiator
between public relations and other
professions.

Public relations practitioners must emulate
the highest standards of personal and
professional ethics.

Public relations practitioners must always
counsel their organizations and clients in an
ethical direction.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
6-9
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND
ETHICS
The PRSA Code of Ethics specifies six core
values:
Advocacy
Fairness
Loyalty
The essence of the
code is that
honesty and
fairness lie at the
heart of the public
relations practice.
Honesty
Expertise
Independence
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
610
Find out more for yourself…

Public Relations Society of America
(PRSA):
www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/

International Association of Business
Communicators (IABC):
www.iabc.com/about/code.htm
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
611
Bridging the connection between
ethics and the law
Ethics tell us what we should do, while the law
tells what we must do.
 Lawyers correctly advise clients on what they
must legally do to defend themselves in the
court of law.
 Public relations advisers counsel clients on what
they should do to defend themselves in the
court of public opinion.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
612
Public Relations and the First
Amendment
Defending the First Amendment is a
front-line responsibility for public
relations
 Freedom of the Internet is tricky
 First Amendment and spam—what does it
mean for unsolicited PR pitches?

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
613
Areas of legal concern for PR
practitioners:

Defamation law

Insider trading

Disclosure law

Ethics law

Copyright law and fair use
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
614
Ethics & The Law
Let’s
Play: Test Your
Workplace Ethics!
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
615