STAMFORD COLLEGE

DMC 115 PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

PUBLIC RELATIONS ETHICS

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

WHAT IS ETHICS
Standards of conduct that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues. Ethics are the values that guide a person, organization or society- concepts such as right and wrong, fairness and unfairness, honesty and dishonesty. A persons ethical construct and approach depend on numerous factors- cultural, religious and educational.
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

WHAT IS ETHICS..
Ethics is the branch of study dealing with what is the proper cause of action for a man. It answers the question, What do I do? It is the study of right and wrong in human endeavors.
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

CONTINUED..
Ethics is concerned with how we should live our lives. It focuses on questions about what is right and wrong, fair or unfair, caring or uncaring, good or bad, responsible or irresponsible and the like. (Jaksa and Pritchard cited in Wilcox, p.182)

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ETHICS

The law is often interpreted in black and white. Ethics fall into a gray area because we have different standards, perceptions, values.

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

WHY IS ETHICS IMPORTANT IN PR

The practice of public relations is all about earning credibility. Credibility, in turn begins with telling the truth. Public relations, then must be based on doing the right thing- in other words, acting ethically.
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ETHICS

Public relations professionals make ethical decisions that must satisfy: Their employer The public interest Their professional organization Their personal values
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ETHICS

A PR professionals job is to: Advocate Influence Communicate Promote Move others to action

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

ETHICAL ISSUES IN PR
Many people perceive public relations as something less than respectable as clever strategies to convince the public that whats wrong is right. Some see public relations professionals as manipulators of the public mind, rather than conveyor of truth.
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

ETHICAL STANDARDS IN THE INDUSTRY

Public relations people must adhere to a high standard of professional, with truth as the key determinant of their conduct. (Seitel,p.111) Ethics in public relations begin with the individual and is directly related to his or her own value system as well as to the good of society. Although it is important to show loyalty to an employer, practitioners must never allow a client or an employer to rob them of their self-esteem. (Wilcox,p.185)
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

THE ROLE
The PR practitioner serves as an intermediary between the organization that he or she represents and all of that organizations publics
Consequently, the PR practitioner has responsibilities both to the institution and to its various publics
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

THE TWO ASPECTS

COMMUNICATION: receiving information from the publics, advising management of their attitudes and responses, helping to set policies that demonstrate responsible attention to them and constantly evaluating the effectiveness of all PR programs MANAGEMENT: the function of public relations involves responsibility and responsiveness in policy and information to the best interests of the organization and its publics

RESPONSIBILITIES TO PUBLICS
Most professional PR practitioners recognize that they and their organizations have ethical responsibilities to at least 10 different publics:
clients
news media government agencies educational institutions
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

CONTINUED
Consumers Stockholders and analysts Community Competitors Critics Other public relation practitioners
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

 in practice
ethical problems that must be resolved in public relations research include: how to collect data (maintain certain standards toward the subjects used in research) how to accumulate and store information how to use research
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

CODE OF ETHICS

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

CODE OF ETHICS
6 values vital to the integrity of the professional as a whole ADVOCACY: PR professional serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for clients and provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas to aid informed public debate HONESTY: PR professionals adhere to the highest standards of truth and accuracy
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

CONTINUED
EXPERTISE: PR professionals have specialized knowledge and skill and maintain that knowledge and skill through continued professional development INDEPENDENCE: PR professionals provide objective advice to their clients and are accountable for their actions LOYALTY: PR professionals are loyal to their clients but continue to serve the public interest FAIRNESS: PR professionals treat fairly all public, including clients
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PR RELOADED
PR can represent the needs, interests and desires of the organizations various publics to management and then back from management to them, explaining managements perspectives; it opens a dialogue between an organization and the publics it affects PR focuses on society in the broadest sense and should work in the greater interest of society, rather than the narrow interests of the organization it serves

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

OVERALL
PR helps management formulate, advocate and teach objectives that are more sound the principles of PR reflect the basic cooperative natures of people, and thus PR people earn their reputation as problem solvers being socially responsible means upholding obligations

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

CONTINUED
social responsibility once ignored by most institutions, now is viewed as being an essential cost of doing business still, the ethical, responsible practice of public relations is a personal choice the PR person who loses the publics perspective has foregone public responsibility

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ETHICS

Ethics experts agree that there are three systems of ethics: DEONTOLOGY OR ABSOLUTIST: every decision is right or wrong -- black or white. Consequences dont matter. This system depends on the inner-based, self discipline of each individual.

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ETHICS

TELEOLOGY OR EXISTENTIALIST: the ends justify the means. GOLDEN MEAN OR UTILITARIAN: each situation is judged on what would cause the most good and the least harm -- whats best for the majority, the greatest good or the greatest number.
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ETHICS

A public relation practitioner serves five masters: 1. The client 2. The employer 3. Your colleagues 4. Yourself 5. Society
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ETHICS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The most common dilemmas faced by PR professionals are: Gifts Misleading Information Promotion of Inferior products Gain at the expense of others Political Action Committees Promotion of illegal products abroad

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PERSONAL ETHICS
Be honest at all times Convey a sense of business ethics based on your own standards and those of society Respect the integrity and position of your opponents and audiences Develop trust by emphasizing substance over triviality Present all sides of an issue Strive for a balance between loyalty to the organization and duty to the public Dont sacrifice long-term objectives for short-term gains
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

PR PROFESSIONALISM:
ACT LIKE A PROFESSIONAL IN THE FIELD, BY HAVING:
A sense of independence A sense of responsibility to society and the public interest Be concerned about the competence and honor of the profession as a whole A higher loyalty to the standards of the profession and fellow professionals than to the employer/client of the moment. The reference point in all PR activity must be the standards of the profession and not those of the client or the employer
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Disseminating inaccurate or false information Disclosing client information Hiring and firing practices
Stealing employees Taking accounts from employer Employees offering company information via social media

Intentional billing errors Making undeliverable claims to clients

PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Poor treatment of local community
Polluting environment

Poor treatment of employees

Requiring long working hours, unreasonable demands

Poor treatment of customers

Selling harmful product Lying about product benefits Not honoring claims and promises
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Lying to company shareholders Salary discrimination Sexual harrasment Home-work balance issues Conflicts of interest
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

THE REWARDS OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR

There is satisfaction in doing the right thing. Successful leadership is based on strong ethics. Ethical behavior may lead to an organizations financial success. Bad ethics can lead to financial disaster.
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

ACHIEVING ETHICAL BEHAVIOR

Ensure that ethical behavior starts with top management. Conduct periodic ethics audits. Integrate an awareness of values and ethics into the public relations process. Use a system for analyzing ethical challenges.
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

CONCLUSION
WHAT IS ETHICS PR AND ETHICS WHY ETHICS IMPORTANT IN PR ETHICAL ISSUES IN PR CODE OF ETHICS PERSONAL ETHICS PR PROFESSIONALISM ACHIEVING ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN