Posted: April 19th, 2015

Public Relations Ethics

Task

You are required to write an essay of 1500 words that comprise the following specific tasks:

1. Describe and explain the role of ethics in public relations based on the topics covered in Cluster 1 (I will upload this)
2. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant professional codes of ethics applicable to Public Relations 
profession
3. Apply the relevant theoretical foundations of ethical principles and values
4. Engage in independent research and provide a suitable number (between 4 and 6) of references to support your discussion
5. Write in an Essay structure and style, provide an introduction, a body (discussion), a conclusion, and a references section.

Focus and concentrate your reading on Chapters 2 and 5 of the Text, Media, Markets and Morals, (Spence, E. H. et al. (2011). Media, markets and morals. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.) and the Modules including the Lecture Notes. (I will upload these) That should be more than adequate to guide you on responding to the requirements for completing the essay.
In answering the requirements of the essay the following framework/plan: 
Determine what is the moral role of Public Relations (see Chapter 2) that is, the ethical commitments that follow naturally from that role ( see the Dual Obligation Information Theory- DOIT, in Chapter 2 of Text).
Examine the Code of Ethics applicable to public relations and compare the ethical commitments arising from that code with the ethical commitments of its Role Morality. Note and comment on any differences between the two and any omissions in the code that might indicate an inadequacy in the code.
Now examine the Role Morality and the Code of Ethics of Public Relations) with the general ethical requirements of Universal Public Morality ( UPM) – see Chapter 2 of Text- to determine if the Role Morality and the Code of Ethics of public realtions is consistent with UPM. Note and comment on any differences and any conflicts between the two. For a more nuanced analysis you may also like to consider some of the specific ethical theories ( e.g., Utilitarianism, Social Contract theories or Ethical Rationalism etc) relevant and applicable to your analysis. Recall that UPM comprises and is supported collectively by all the ethical theories examined in the subject. 
The above framework is designed to enable you to determine the ethical commitments of public ralations that arise out of its Role Morality and it’s Code of Ethics and how those commitments measure up with the more general commitments that all Communications Proffessionss have with regard to society generally in accordance with the requirements of UPM as supported in principle by the ethical theories.

– (I have made a start on the introduction. It is up to you weather you want to use to it or not.)

Introduction:
The agreed definition of ethics “comprises a corpus of various philosophical theories that seek to account and explain ethical conduct as well as provide rational justification for the rules and principles which those theories respectively support” This definition provides the paradigm base for ethics in the first part and the second part suggest a way in which the paradigm can be enacted. The definition simply allows for an eclectic grab bag of ethical definitions by suggesting that there is a complex array of definitions and paradigms that need to be explored.

The definition relies upon “rational justification” which suggests that there is a premise and that from the premises conclusions can be drawn. Such an approach relies upon deductive logic as the rational justification.

Fundamental to ethics is the value base that the Public relations practioners might have. In other words what is the practioners think is worth striving for, founded on an over aching principle. Such a principle might be found in collaborative theory where building trust, goodwill, generating commitment and building on customer base and networks define what the practioners is striving for.

In a practical sense these values might encompass
• Being honest in communicating with the consumer and in doing this you choose to provide a consistent message that is based on qualitative research avoiding double standards, hypocrisy and distortion.

• Use Public Relations to support advertising and to not pay for media coverage as PR trades on independent, third-party reports, stories and information. Paying for good press breaches the standards of PR practice.

• Don’t fight competitors in public. Keeping your criticisms and disagreements with your competitors and suppliers out of the spotlight shows good grace and keeps your PR professional.

Spence, E. H. et al. (2011). Media, markets and morals. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. *Read Chapters 2 and 5 of the Text, Media, Markets and Morals, the Modules