Chapter 5 - Public Relations Ethics

1. Introductory Statements

  . The practice of PR is all about gaining credibility, and credibility begins with telling the truth.

  . The cardinal rule of PR is: "to never lie"

   . The heart of PR counsel is: "to do the right thing"

2. About Ethics

  a. Definition

  "Standards of conduct that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues"

  b. Ethics or Moral Philosophy

  The field of ethics, or moral philosophy, aims to differentiate between the concepts of right and wrong behavior. It involves systematizing, defending and recommending.

  Nowadays, philosophers distinguish between 3 general subject areas:

  1. Metaethics

  2. Normative Ethics

                        Normative ethics aim to define moral 

                  standards to regulate right and wrong 

                  conduct.

  3. Applied Ethics

  Applied ethics focuses on examining 

                      specific controversial issues such as 

                  abortion and homosexuality.

      c. PR Ethics

  PR people must be ethical in terms of:

  + Professional ethics

  + Applied ethics  

            This suggests a commonly accepted sense of professional conduct that is translated into formal codes of ethics, which are monitored, assessed and enforced through actions taken against those who deviate from norm.

3. Ethics across disciplines

a. Ethics in Government

  Ethics has never had a perfect reputation when it comes to politics

  b. Ethics in Law

  PR counselors are strictly mandated by law to register the foreign entities they represent.

  c. Ethics in Business

  For many people today, the term business code is an oxymore.

  PR industry is linked in collective minds to ethical slipperiness and deceptive communication.

  d. Corporate Social Responsibility

  1. Categories

   + Marketing Price (e.g. fair price)

   + Corporate philanthropy

   + Environment activities

                  + External relations (e.g. support of minorities)

   + Employee safety and health 

            2. Tasks

                  Social responsibility discipline focuses on doing the following:

   + Analyzing the issues

   + Evaluating the performance

   + Setting priorities

   + Allocating resources to the priorities

   + Implementing programs

  3. The Pyramid of Social Responsibility