The ethics of codes: A depth approach (original) (raw)
Related papers
Public relations ethics: a simpler (but not simplistic) approach to the complexities
PRism, 2005
public relations bodies internationally have established ethics codes in an attempt to regulate members' ethical behaviour. This paper critiques the code-based framework on philosophical and practical grounds, suggesting that such frameworks are inadequate because they leave practitioners free to interpret these guides in ways that advance their own and their clients' interests. We argue that this latitude does not foster ethical behaviour. We then contrast rule-following, action-based ethics with agent-based ethics, conceived in Aristotelian terms, and suggest that the virtue ethics advanced by Aristotle and his interpreters represents a more challenging but more authentically ethical path for practitioners to consider.
Ethics and ethical decision-making are crucial for the practice and understanding of public relations. Our ethical professional behavior, both as individual practitioners and as organizational managers, protects us from legal and regulatory problems. It also helps us build a credible and action-based relationship with our publics, with long-term and positive consequences for our organization.
Public relations: The empirical research on practitioner ethics
Journal of Business Ethics, 1991
An examination of the empirical literature on public relations ethics indicates serious doubts and concerns about the ethics of the public relations practice. Practitioners tend to perceive the ethics of their top management as higher than their own ethics, suggesting that top management (of which practitioners are a part) should be in the forefront of improving organizational and practitioner ethics. This article also discusses public relations practitioners' suggestions on how ethics in public relations can be improved. Sample members of the Public Relations Society of America most frequently suggest having ethics education, taking disciplinary action against violators of codes of ethics, and emphasizing professionalism of practitioners as strategies for improving practitioner ethics. This article also concludes that, because ethics education leads the list of suggestions, professional-development seminars and collegelevel courses might explore in further detail those ethics issues most common in the practice and might examine in group settings how the ethics of such issues are perceived by practitioners.
publictimetable.massey.ac.nz
Zealand. She has professional experience in communication spanning 13 years, and has published refereed academic works on topics including public relations ethics, journalism ethics, political communication, cross-cultural communication, media relations, workplace theatre, online communication, visual communication, literacy and employment, discourse analysis, and race relations.
Toward a Professional Responsibility Theory of Public Relations Ethics
Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 2001
Carolina o This article contributes to the development of a professional responsibility theory of public relations ethics. Toward that end, we examine the roles of a public relations practitioner as a professional, an institutional advocate, and the public conscience of institutions served. In the article, we review previously suggested theories of public relations ethics and propose a new theory based on the public relations professional's dual obligations to serve client organizations and the public interest. The leading association in the public relations industry defines the purpose of public relations as follows: "Public Relations helps our complex, pluralistic society to reach decisions and function more effectively by contributing to mutual understanding among groups and institutions. It serves to bring private and public policies into harmony" (Public Relations Society of America Foundations, 1991, p. 4). The same association describes the work of the public relations professional: "The public relations practitioner acts as a counselor to management and as a mediator, helping translate private aims into reasonable, publicly acceptable policy and action (Public Relations Society of America Foundations, 1991, p. 4). These rather vague statements are among hundreds that have been offered to explain the term and function of those working in public relations. Many who have studied or practiced public relations have pondered-but seldom agreed-on just what public relations is or exactly what those who do public relations should be or do. The result is that the field includes a lot of people doing a lot of things for a diverse group of institutions and interests. Most professionals who provide public relations services offer counsel regarding the public implications of an institution's decisions and actions. They advise the institution on communication strategies and tactics that
GLOBAL PROTOCOL ON ETHICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
This article explores the creation of a Global Protocol on Ethics in Public Relations. It begins by looking into the global ethical debate. It examines existing Codes of Ethics of a selection of public relations institutes and associations around the world, provides comparative analysis of these codes and discusses the pros and cons of their enforcement. It suggests that the immediate way forward in a highly litigious world is to provide some values-based guidance to member associations together with access to an evolving data base of case studies illustrating ethical problems. In the medium term more effective sanctions may be possible.
Public relations student perceptions of ethics
Journal of Business Ethics Education, 2013
Public relations is often perceived as unethical, yet professional associations and educators position the industry as an ethical profession. The aim of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of public relations students (N = 45) in a communication school in Australia towards ethics. Research involving a survey and a focus group found that students perceived public relations ethics depended on a negotiation between practitioners’ responsibilities to stakeholders and their client or employer organisation, and broader societal expectations. They perceived professional codes of ethics to be of limited value and the development of ethical understanding as incremental over the course of their studies. The findings suggest ethics should be scaffolded in public relations education, the social impact of public relations activity should be emphasised and the limitations of professional codes highlighted.
Globalization has the potential to create a network society where ‘‘there is a common cultural code of values that forms the glue of the network’’ (Castells, The rise of the network society: The information age: economy, society, and culture, 2000). This article explores if common cultural codes of values are emerging in the public relations industry by examining the codes of ethics of 41 professional public relations associations across the world. The method for the analysis was Centering Resonance Analysis, a textual analysis methodology, that uses linguistics theory to assess main concepts, their influence, and their interrelationships (Canary and Jennings, J Bus Ethics 80: 263–278, 2008; Corman et al., Hum Commun Res 28: 157–206, 2002). The research team found that six dominant themes emerged from the codes of ethics of professional communication associations: (1) professionalism, (2) advocacy, (3) moral standards, (4) clients’ interests, (5) expertise, and (6) relationships. The findings suggest that global values that will influence organizational relationships with publics are emerging in professional communication practice.