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10 ethical issues facing public relations - PRCA Ethics Council Annual

Artificial intelligence, paid influence, mental health and fake news are all ethical issues identified by a group of international practitioners in a series of reflective essays published by the PRCA.

The PRCA Ethics Council has published its annual perspective of ethical challenges facing PR practice in 2021. It contains a series of reflections from 20 practitioners around the world.

The Council was launched in May 2020 to raise ethical standards in PR around the world.

Key themes emerging from the review include:

International culture: East vs West

The role of PR professionals in tackling misinformation and protecting the truth

The who-to-work-for dilemma

Building trust and accountability

Avoiding purpose washing

“There’s no shortage of ethical challenges facing communicators right now. With misinformation swirling, trust in institutions declining, and businesses operating in new ways, it’s essential we put ethics at the front of the line. I hope the different perspectives that are so generously shared by global leaders in this report will help drive a much-needed dialogue,” said David Gallagher, President of Growth and Development, International at Omnicom Public Relations Group and chair, PRCA Ethics Council.

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Here are ten of the ethical issues facing practitioners highlighted in The PRCA Ethics Council Annual Perspective 2021 .

1. Paid influence  

In France, a 1964 decree lays down the principle that the practice of public relations is incompatible with advertising. Hence, earned media and paid media should not be managed by the same practitioners. However, the growing confusion between digital PR and influencer marketing is leading PR agencies to move away from this ban at the risk of increasingly frequent ethical issues. To mitigate the risk, SCRP, the French leading professional organisation, has recently taken the initiative of a Charter of Good Practices aimed at setting the framework for ethical practices regarding influencers relations.

Stéphane Billiet, PRCA Ethics Council Member and CEO, WE Agency

2. Infodemic puts trust to the test

2021 has seen the arrival of a new kind of threat – an infodemic. The Edelman Trust Barometer 2021 research highlighted that trust in all information sources significantly declined as misinformation spread throughout most of last year. According to this same research, news organisations in South Africa are seen as biased and most South Africans believe that journalists are intentionally trying to mislead them. What will this mean for us as communicators who rely on media channels to tell stories, spread news, information, and insights?

Karena Crerar, PRCA Ethics Council Member and Managing Director, Edelman South Africa

3. Technology and artificial intelligence

Conversations are moving away from the bottom line and towards the triple bottom line –profit, people, and the planet. The tech sector has been no stranger to this movement. But at the same time, ethical discourse has never been more prominent. AI, and the bias that resides within it, has been a huge conversation. Tech players and their product development teams are increasingly under the microscope, as high-profile examples of gender, racial, and sexual orientation bias are regularly hitting the headlines. Whether it is a case of cognitive human bias, or incomplete and insufficient data sets that have caused the problems, these are examples of an industry moving too fast, without the proper level of care and thought.

Katie De Cozar, PRCA Technology Group Chair and Head of Enterprise Technology, CCgroup

4. Campaigns hijacked by misinformation

Misinformation is not just an issue for those working in high profile areas such as vaccines and the environment. Any campaign can be hijacked by people spreading fake news. This can turn any campaign into a crisis. We need to be on constant watch for deep fakes and people misrepresenting our views. We also need to ensure we maintain a duty of care when asking supporters to engage in social media content. The last 12 months has seen a rise in hate speech directed to charity staff and beneficiaries.

Simon Francis, PRCA Charity & Not for Profit Group Chair and Founder Member of Social Enterprise Campaign Collective

5. Who would you work for?

These days, admittedly with Captain Hindsight at the helm, the fact that some PR pioneers worked for the Nazis is indefensible. Hitler may be an extreme case, but where does one draw the line today? No government is perfect, but some regimes are surely further from perfection. China in the 2020s seems to be going places –but so did Germany in the 1930s. In both cases, state and business interests were and are hard to disentangle. Interviewed for our new book, a senior insider argued that PR people “don’t care if people are persecuted for religious or political beliefs. They don’t care that they’re not working in a democracy… if there is a dollar sign attached to it, their scruples disappear overnight.”

Simon Goldsworthy, PRCA Ethics Council Member and Co-Author of PR Ethics: The Real World Guide

6. Taking a stance

A stance does not function retrospectively. […] Define now, and now at the latest, on which issues you must – and on which you want to – take a stand. And then go into scenario planning as in any good crisis preparation. What is likely to happen if I adopt this attitude, actively or reactively? Can we stand the heat? Can we maintain public advocacy of our position? How do I handle which reactions and through which channels? To advocate your position you need resources. And a stance is a long-term position. Even if the stock market, customers, and other stakeholders punish you temporarily, taking a stance pays dividends.

Sabine Hückman, CEO, Ketchum Germany

7. Defending the truth in practice

While the internet has advanced the world in many ways, it has also brought an onslaught of misinformation and fake news. The problem has been compounded by the COVID-19 outbreak. The most salient example of this is the spread of vaccine misinformation, a phenomenon that undermines public health efforts and hinders global vaccination progress and our exit from the pandemic. Thankfully, healthcare firms and governments worldwide are doing their part to debunk fake news and defend the truth. Similarly, the communications industry needs to be alert and adopt ways to identify and check the dissemination of false narratives by making fact-checks an indispensable part of its work. Our role must also extend to holding ourselves and our clients to high standards of authenticity.

Nitin Mantri, PRCA Ethics Council Member, ICCO President and Group CEO, Avian WE

8. Reclaiming lost humanity

The global pandemic saw the outpouring of feelings around race, mental wellbeing, ways of working, and socio-economic hardships that shone a light on the cultures that define the PR and comms industry. Redefining culture is the number one ethical challenge for comms advisors because now we can’t unsee all of the suffering and isolation endured by colleagues, clients being close to collapse, and the realisation that perhaps our industry wasn’t (for some) such a great place to work after all.

Barbara Phillips, PRCA Race & Ethnicity Equity Board Chair, and Founder, Brownstone Communications

9. Understanding different markets

National values and established cultures play a large part in understanding what is, and isn’t, acceptable. When does a journalist freebie become a ‘bribe’, especially in a country where the culture of gift-giving is widespread? It’s important for Western businesses and comms pros to understand such differences, many of which are borne out of a more secular Buddhist perspective than a Christian view on how society and individuals should behave.

Lee Nugent, PRCA Ethics Council Member, Regional Director APAC, Archetype

10. Mental health and company culture

As agency leaders, we have a responsibility to address the creeping mental health issue that was burdening our industry long before COVID-19. That responsibility extends to acknowledging the role employers play in peoples’ mental health equilibrium. This doesn’t just mean setting up a helpline or signing a charter. It is about prevention – as well as cure. It’s about firing a client bully (we did this in 2020) despite the dent in your bottom line. It’s about recognising that a 9-5 working hours contract does not work for a UK account manager working on US or APAC accounts.

Nicky Regazzoni, PRCA Virtual PR Agency Group Chair and Co-Founder and Co-CEO, PR Network

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Characterising the COVID-19 PRstack

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  • Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Ethical dilemmas in the PR world

Editor’s note:   As we celebrate Public Relations Ethics Month this September, PRSA invited members of the Board of Ethics & Professional Standards (BEPS) to offer their views and thoughts on the ethical topics affecting the PR profession. Follow the blog series on PRSAY and join the national social media discussion by using the hashtag  #PREthics . For a full list of Ethics Month activities visit the  2015 Ethics Month section of the PRSA site .

It may sound really strange to say this, but I’m really passionate about upholding ethical principles. Maybe it was because of what my parents taught me, or what I learned from my grandmother, a legal secretary, all those years ago. Without ethics, we as public relations pros cannot succeed.

Let’s be honest, even though PRSA has a Code of Ethics we are asked to uphold, we have seen plenty of instances of unethical behavior and practices. It puts a stain on our profession. Frankly, the spinner of truth moniker that goes around isn’t one of my favorites.

When I saw that September is Ethics Awareness Month for our society, it got me thinking. So, I went to Facebook and posted a short video with a question for my network.

What is the biggest ethical challenge we face as public relations professionals today?

After posting on Facebook, I also shared this on Twitter. I received some very good and honest answers from a cross-section of professionals. Deirdre Breakenridge (@dbreakenridge), CEO of Pure Performance Communications, said,

With technology increasing the speed of communication, along with an involved and connected public, we have to show more diligence with the information we share. In an age of social conversations, not taking the time to review the details of information carefully, checking and rechecking sources, and confirming the accuracy of our communication, will pose a tremendous challenge. As ethical communicators, what we share should not only be authentic, but also in the best interest of all parties involved. 

Nichole Kelly (@Nicole_Kelly), CEO of SME Digital, posted on Facebook, “I think it’s transparency. True authentic transparency vs. what’s in the best interest of shareholders and stock price.”

Nicole Spears, social media manager at Geben Communications, tweeted , “The largest ethical dilemma facing today’s PR: A lack of education surrounding our role in media.” What could we, as PR pros, do to help change that? Nicole added two things: Set clear expectations with clients and give, and thereby, earn the respect from the journalists we work with.

Megan Wagner, owner of MW MarCom , felt the largest ethical dilemma facing PR today is prioritizing our message’s truth over its connection power. While John Kageorge , Strategist for Vital Communications, said, “PR pros must not be afraid to deliver bad news to C-Suite colleagues.”

What do I think is the biggest ethical challenge we face as PR pros today? We are faced with a world that tries to one-up each other. We see others cheat, why can’t we do the same? It’s absolutely important that we maintain the integrity that comes with having the trust of our superiors, clients, and fellow colleagues. If we decide that bending the truth is better than upholding it, our field will find itself in shambles.

What say you? Tell PRSA what you believe is the biggest ethical challenge we face as pros? Post a video to Twitter or Facebook or even share your thoughts in a blog. Any chance we have to discuss ethics within our industry is a good one.  There’s no better time than right now.

Jason Mollica  is the president of  JRMComm , a strategic public relations and marketing consultancy. He combines knowledge of the broadcast news industry, traditional public relations expertise and today’s innovative social communications tools. Jason writing can be found on Marketwired ,  Ragan.com  as well as across PRSA’s network. You can also read more from Jason at his blog  or follow him on Twitter  (@JasMollica ).

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Videos Concepts Unwrapped View All 36 short illustrated videos explain behavioral ethics concepts and basic ethics principles. Concepts Unwrapped: Sports Edition View All 10 short videos introduce athletes to behavioral ethics concepts. Ethics Defined (Glossary) View All 58 animated videos - 1 to 2 minutes each - define key ethics terms and concepts. Ethics in Focus View All One-of-a-kind videos highlight the ethical aspects of current and historical subjects. Giving Voice To Values View All Eight short videos present the 7 principles of values-driven leadership from Gentile's Giving Voice to Values. In It To Win View All A documentary and six short videos reveal the behavioral ethics biases in super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff's story. Scandals Illustrated View All 30 videos - one minute each - introduce newsworthy scandals with ethical insights and case studies. Video Series

Case Studies UT Star Icon

Case Studies

More than 70 cases pair ethics concepts with real world situations. From journalism, performing arts, and scientific research to sports, law, and business, these case studies explore current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences. Each case includes discussion questions, related videos, and a bibliography.

A Million Little Pieces

A Million Little Pieces

James Frey’s popular memoir stirred controversy and media attention after it was revealed to contain numerous exaggerations and fabrications.

Abramoff: Lobbying Congress

Abramoff: Lobbying Congress

Super-lobbyist Abramoff was caught in a scheme to lobby against his own clients. Was a corrupt individual or a corrupt system – or both – to blame?

Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices

Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices

Is tech company Apple, Inc. ethically obligated to oversee the questionable working conditions of other companies further down their supply chain?

Approaching the Presidency: Roosevelt & Taft

Approaching the Presidency: Roosevelt & Taft

Some presidents view their responsibilities in strictly legal terms, others according to duty. Roosevelt and Taft took two extreme approaches.

Appropriating “Hope”

Appropriating “Hope”

Fairey’s portrait of Barack Obama raised debate over the extent to which an artist can use and modify another’s artistic work, yet still call it one’s own.

Arctic Offshore Drilling

Arctic Offshore Drilling

Competing groups frame the debate over oil drilling off Alaska’s coast in varying ways depending on their environmental and economic interests.

Banning Burkas: Freedom or Discrimination?

Banning Burkas: Freedom or Discrimination?

The French law banning women from wearing burkas in public sparked debate about discrimination and freedom of religion.

Birthing Vaccine Skepticism

Birthing Vaccine Skepticism

Wakefield published an article riddled with inaccuracies and conflicts of interest that created significant vaccine hesitancy regarding the MMR vaccine.

Blurred Lines of Copyright

Blurred Lines of Copyright

Marvin Gaye’s Estate won a lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for the hit song “Blurred Lines,” which had a similar feel to one of his songs.

Bullfighting: Art or Not?

Bullfighting: Art or Not?

Bullfighting has been a prominent cultural and artistic event for centuries, but in recent decades it has faced increasing criticism for animal rights’ abuse.

Buying Green: Consumer Behavior

Buying Green: Consumer Behavior

Do purchasing green products, such as organic foods and electric cars, give consumers the moral license to indulge in unethical behavior?

Cadavers in Car Safety Research

Cadavers in Car Safety Research

Engineers at Heidelberg University insist that the use of human cadavers in car safety research is ethical because their research can save lives.

Cardinals’ Computer Hacking

Cardinals’ Computer Hacking

St. Louis Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa hacked into the Houston Astros’ webmail system, leading to legal repercussions and a lifetime ban from MLB.

Cheating: Atlanta’s School Scandal

Cheating: Atlanta’s School Scandal

Teachers and administrators at Parks Middle School adjust struggling students’ test scores in an effort to save their school from closure.

Cheating: Sign-Stealing in MLB

Cheating: Sign-Stealing in MLB

The Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme rocked the baseball world, leading to a game-changing MLB investigation and fallout.

Cheating: UNC’s Academic Fraud

Cheating: UNC’s Academic Fraud

UNC’s academic fraud scandal uncovered an 18-year scheme of unchecked coursework and fraudulent classes that enabled student-athletes to play sports.

Cheney v. U.S. District Court

Cheney v. U.S. District Court

A controversial case focuses on Justice Scalia’s personal friendship with Vice President Cheney and the possible conflict of interest it poses to the case.

Christina Fallin: “Appropriate Culturation?”

Christina Fallin: “Appropriate Culturation?”

After Fallin posted a picture of herself wearing a Plain’s headdress on social media, uproar emerged over cultural appropriation and Fallin’s intentions.

Climate Change & the Paris Deal

Climate Change & the Paris Deal

While climate change poses many abstract problems, the actions (or inactions) of today’s populations will have tangible effects on future generations.

Cover-Up on Campus

Cover-Up on Campus

While the Baylor University football team was winning on the field, university officials failed to take action when allegations of sexual assault by student athletes emerged.

Covering Female Athletes

Covering Female Athletes

Sports Illustrated stirs controversy when their cover photo of an Olympic skier seems to focus more on her physical appearance than her athletic abilities.

Covering Yourself? Journalists and the Bowl Championship

Covering Yourself? Journalists and the Bowl Championship

Can news outlets covering the Bowl Championship Series fairly report sports news if their own polls were used to create the news?

Cyber Harassment

Cyber Harassment

After a student defames a middle school teacher on social media, the teacher confronts the student in class and posts a video of the confrontation online.

Defending Freedom of Tweets?

Defending Freedom of Tweets?

Running back Rashard Mendenhall receives backlash from fans after criticizing the celebration of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden in a tweet.

Dennis Kozlowski: Living Large

Dennis Kozlowski: Living Large

Dennis Kozlowski was an effective leader for Tyco in his first few years as CEO, but eventually faced criminal charges over his use of company assets.

Digital Downloads

Digital Downloads

File-sharing program Napster sparked debate over the legal and ethical dimensions of downloading unauthorized copies of copyrighted music.

Dr. V’s Magical Putter

Dr. V’s Magical Putter

Journalist Caleb Hannan outed Dr. V as a trans woman, sparking debate over the ethics of Hannan’s reporting, as well its role in Dr. V’s suicide.

East Germany’s Doping Machine

East Germany’s Doping Machine

From 1968 to the late 1980s, East Germany (GDR) doped some 9,000 athletes to gain success in international athletic competitions despite being aware of the unfortunate side effects.

Ebola & American Intervention

Ebola & American Intervention

Did the dispatch of U.S. military units to Liberia to aid in humanitarian relief during the Ebola epidemic help or hinder the process?

Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?

Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?

Was Edward Snowden’s release of confidential government documents ethically justifiable?

Ethical Pitfalls in Action

Ethical Pitfalls in Action

Why do good people do bad things? Behavioral ethics is the science of moral decision-making, which explores why and how people make the ethical (and unethical) decisions that they do.

Ethical Use of Home DNA Testing

Ethical Use of Home DNA Testing

The rising popularity of at-home DNA testing kits raises questions about privacy and consumer rights.

Flying the Confederate Flag

Flying the Confederate Flag

A heated debate ensues over whether or not the Confederate flag should be removed from the South Carolina State House grounds.

Freedom of Speech on Campus

Freedom of Speech on Campus

In the wake of racially motivated offenses, student protests sparked debate over the roles of free speech, deliberation, and tolerance on campus.

Freedom vs. Duty in Clinical Social Work

Freedom vs. Duty in Clinical Social Work

What should social workers do when their personal values come in conflict with the clients they are meant to serve?

Full Disclosure: Manipulating Donors

Full Disclosure: Manipulating Donors

When an intern witnesses a donor making a large gift to a non-profit organization under misleading circumstances, she struggles with what to do.

Gaming the System: The VA Scandal

Gaming the System: The VA Scandal

The Veterans Administration’s incentives were meant to spur more efficient and productive healthcare, but not all administrators complied as intended.

German Police Battalion 101

German Police Battalion 101

During the Holocaust, ordinary Germans became willing killers even though they could have opted out from murdering their Jewish neighbors.

Head Injuries & American Football

Head Injuries & American Football

Many studies have linked traumatic brain injuries and related conditions to American football, creating controversy around the safety of the sport.

Head Injuries & the NFL

Head Injuries & the NFL

American football is a rough and dangerous game and its impact on the players’ brain health has sparked a hotly contested debate.

Healthcare Obligations: Personal vs. Institutional

Healthcare Obligations: Personal vs. Institutional

A medical doctor must make a difficult decision when informing patients of the effectiveness of flu shots while upholding institutional recommendations.

High Stakes Testing

High Stakes Testing

In the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act, parents, teachers, and school administrators take different positions on how to assess student achievement.

In-FUR-mercials: Advertising & Adoption

In-FUR-mercials: Advertising & Adoption

When the Lied Animal Shelter faces a spike in animal intake, an advertising agency uses its moral imagination to increase pet adoptions.

Krogh & the Watergate Scandal

Krogh & the Watergate Scandal

Egil Krogh was a young lawyer working for the Nixon Administration whose ethics faded from view when asked to play a part in the Watergate break-in.

Limbaugh on Drug Addiction

Limbaugh on Drug Addiction

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh argued that drug abuse was a choice, not a disease. He later became addicted to painkillers.

LochteGate

U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte’s “over-exaggeration” of an incident at the 2016 Rio Olympics led to very real consequences.

Meet Me at Starbucks

Meet Me at Starbucks

Two black men were arrested after an employee called the police on them, prompting Starbucks to implement “racial-bias” training across all its stores.

Myanmar Amber

Myanmar Amber

Buying amber could potentially fund an ethnic civil war, but refraining allows collectors to acquire important specimens that could be used for research.

Negotiating Bankruptcy

Negotiating Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy lawyer Gellene successfully represented a mining company during a major reorganization, but failed to disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Pao & Gender Bias

Pao & Gender Bias

Ellen Pao stirred debate in the venture capital and tech industries when she filed a lawsuit against her employer on grounds of gender discrimination.

Pardoning Nixon

Pardoning Nixon

One month after Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency, Gerald Ford made the controversial decision to issue Nixon a full pardon.

Patient Autonomy & Informed Consent

Patient Autonomy & Informed Consent

Nursing staff and family members struggle with informed consent when taking care of a patient who has been deemed legally incompetent.

Prenatal Diagnosis & Parental Choice

Prenatal Diagnosis & Parental Choice

Debate has emerged over the ethics of prenatal diagnosis and reproductive freedom in instances where testing has revealed genetic abnormalities.

Reporting on Robin Williams

Reporting on Robin Williams

After Robin Williams took his own life, news media covered the story in great detail, leading many to argue that such reporting violated the family’s privacy.

Responding to Child Migration

Responding to Child Migration

An influx of children migrants posed logistical and ethical dilemmas for U.S. authorities while intensifying ongoing debate about immigration.

Retracting Research: The Case of Chandok v. Klessig

Retracting Research: The Case of Chandok v. Klessig

A researcher makes the difficult decision to retract a published, peer-reviewed article after the original research results cannot be reproduced.

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

In the wake of questionable social media use by college athletes, the head coach at University of South Carolina bans his players from using Twitter.

Selling Enron

Selling Enron

Following the deregulation of electricity markets in California, private energy company Enron profited greatly, but at a dire cost.

Snyder v. Phelps

Snyder v. Phelps

Freedom of speech was put on trial in a case involving the Westboro Baptist Church and their protesting at the funeral of U.S. Marine Matthew Snyder.

Something Fishy at the Paralympics

Something Fishy at the Paralympics

Rampant cheating has plagued the Paralympics over the years, compromising the credibility and sportsmanship of Paralympian athletes.

Sports Blogs: The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

Sports Blogs: The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

Deadspin pays an anonymous source for information related to NFL star Brett Favre, sparking debate over the ethics of “checkbook journalism.”

Stangl & the Holocaust

Stangl & the Holocaust

Franz Stangl was the most effective Nazi administrator in Poland, killing nearly one million Jews at Treblinka, but he claimed he was simply following orders.

Teaching Blackface: A Lesson on Stereotypes

Teaching Blackface: A Lesson on Stereotypes

A teacher was put on leave for showing a blackface video during a lesson on racial segregation, sparking discussion over how to teach about stereotypes.

The Astros’ Sign-Stealing Scandal

The Astros’ Sign-Stealing Scandal

The Houston Astros rode a wave of success, culminating in a World Series win, but it all came crashing down when their sign-stealing scheme was revealed.

The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five

Despite the indisputable and overwhelming evidence of the innocence of the Central Park Five, some involved in the case refuse to believe it.

The CIA Leak

The CIA Leak

Legal and political fallout follows from the leak of classified information that led to the identification of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

The Collapse of Barings Bank

The Collapse of Barings Bank

When faced with growing losses, investment banker Nick Leeson took big risks in an attempt to get out from under the losses. He lost.

The Costco Model

The Costco Model

How can companies promote positive treatment of employees and benefit from leading with the best practices? Costco offers a model.

The FBI & Apple Security vs. Privacy

The FBI & Apple Security vs. Privacy

How can tech companies and government organizations strike a balance between maintaining national security and protecting user privacy?

The Miss Saigon Controversy

The Miss Saigon Controversy

When a white actor was cast for the half-French, half-Vietnamese character in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon , debate ensued.

The Sandusky Scandal

The Sandusky Scandal

Following the conviction of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for sexual abuse, debate continues on how much university officials and head coach Joe Paterno knew of the crimes.

The Varsity Blues Scandal

The Varsity Blues Scandal

A college admissions prep advisor told wealthy parents that while there were front doors into universities and back doors, he had created a side door that was worth exploring.

Therac-25

Providing radiation therapy to cancer patients, Therac-25 had malfunctions that resulted in 6 deaths. Who is accountable when technology causes harm?

Welfare Reform

Welfare Reform

The Welfare Reform Act changed how welfare operated, intensifying debate over the government’s role in supporting the poor through direct aid.

Wells Fargo and Moral Emotions

Wells Fargo and Moral Emotions

In a settlement with regulators, Wells Fargo Bank admitted that it had created as many as two million accounts for customers without their permission.

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PR Ethics: Context & Content

By Don Bates, APR, Fellow PRSA

Before any discussion of ethics in the public relations industry, we need to define what the term means.

Ethics, according to the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, are “well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.”

Obvious obligations for everyone are not to commit rape, robbery, murder, assault, slander, or fraud. As public relations practitioners, we have additional obligations related to how we act on our own or on behalf of those who pay for our services.

Personal ethics are defined by character, integrity, and values. Professional ethics are defined by such written codes as the PRSA Code of Ethics; PR Council’s Code of Ethics and Principles; Arthur Page Society’s Seven Principles; IABC’s Code of Ethics.

As the PRSA Code explains: “Each of us sets an example for each other – as well as other professionals – by our pursuit of excellence with powerful standards of performance, professionalism and ethical conduct.”

Examples of improper conduct under these codes include:

  • Lying by omission such as knowingly failing to release certain financial information, which gives a misleading impression of the organization’s performance.
  • Not correcting inaccurate information discovered in a website, blog, annual report, press release, or media kit.
  • Deceiving the public by employing people to pose as volunteer speakers at public hearings or participate in “grass roots” campaigns.
  • Setting up front groups and engaging in “grass roots” or letter-writing campaigns to legislators on behalf of undisclosed interest groups.
  • Stealing from your employer or client by stealing money, time, supplies, proprietary information, and trade secrets.
  • Discriminating on the basis of age, disability, equal pay, pregnancy, race and color, religion, and sex.

Guidelines for ensuring ethical conduct include:

  • Be honest and accurate in all communications.
  • Act promptly to correct erroneous communications.
  • Investigate the truthfulness and accuracy of information released on behalf of employers or clients.
  • Reveal the sponsors for promoted causes and interests.
  • Obey company rules and bylaws.
  • Disclose personal financial interest (such as stock ownership) in a client organization.
  • Don’t tease, bully, sexually harass, or verbally or physically abuse a coworker or non-employee.

There are scores of ways to help make certain that public relations practitioners and their employers and clients act as ethically as possible.

A few have been summarized here, but they only scratch the surface, especially when it comes to the larger ethical behavior of for-profit, government, and nonprofit organizations as well as individual practitioners.

What do you think? Submit your suggestions and recommendations by emailing [email protected] . Feel free to share ideas, programs, anecdotes, case studies, book excerpts, PR news stories, and anything else you think will be helpful to other practitioners and their employers and clients.

https://bizfluent.com/list-6850278-list-ethical-issues-business.html https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/what-is-ethics/

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Can Ethical PRs Represent Unethical Clients?

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The public relations business is plagued with bad cultural stereotypes (see: Flacks ) as well as real-life examples of specialists who lie or deceive. Just look at the pressure on the comms team at Facebook, which has come to epitomize the struggle to do ethical work at a company that is acting in bad faith.

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Deirdre Breakenridge

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

I know that ethics is “taught” in various forms in most colleges and universities, but I have serious concerns as to whether or not the “real world” is included in the process. But how much “this is why ethical behavior is crucial to the success of your client or employer” reality is included, I’m not sure.

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10 ethical issues facing public relations - PRCA Ethics Council Annual

Stephen Waddington

MARCH 24, 2021

The PRCA Ethics Council has published its annual perspective of ethical challenging facing PR practice in 2021. The Council was launched in May 2020 to raise ethical standards in PR around the world. Here are ten of the ethical issues facing practitioners highlighted in PRCA Ethics Council Annual Perspective 2021.

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A Case for Marketing Ethics

Mindful Marketing

DECEMBER 20, 2023

So, I was surprised recently when a student waited until others had left, then said, “Hey, Dr. Hagenbuch, I have a question about an ethical issue.” I felt for Grant in this predicament, but I also was very glad that he not only recognized there was an ethical issue, he was conflicted enough by it that he wanted to talk about it.

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This Week in RPR Ethics (9/28/23) – Ozempic, Codes of Ethics and A Right to PR Counsel?

Ethical Voices

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

This week in PR Ethics the issues ran the gamut from undisclosed promotions to agencies deciding with whom they should work and the importance of PR Codes of Ethics : The undisclosed promotions of Ozempic – Ozempic is everywhere – but this blogger highlights how some of the promotions are not disclosing conflicts of interest and paid relationships.

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How to Conduct PR Research Ethically – Marcia DiStaso

She discusses a number of important ethics issues, including: How do we ethically ask questions in research? What to absolutely never, ever do when conducting research for a PR campaign Ethical challenges with AI in PR Why don’t you tell me about yourself and your career? PRSA had a poster, “Act Ethically and Carry On”.

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The Importance of Ethics and Authenticity in a PR Career

OCTOBER 2, 2023

In the world of public relations, ethics , and authenticity stand as cornerstones that not only define the profession but also dictate its long-term success and impact. To achieve these goals effectively and responsibly, adhering to ethical principles and embodying authenticity are paramount.

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ESAs: The Fad-Free Way to Build Your Ethics Muscle

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Without a doubt, I dread the surgeon’s knife again — just nowhere near as much as I fear facing an ethical challenge professionally and getting it wrong. For nearly two decades, the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) has offered analysis on current practice issues and challenges through Ethical Standards Advisories (ESAs).

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A Foundation in Ethics Is Built in Our Childhood

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

According to Michael Josephson, founder and president of the Joseph & Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics , one of the central pieces of teaching children about ethics is that “parents need to have a focused notion of what values are important to the family.” The first Code of Ethics was adopted in 1950.

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#PRStudChat Celebrates Ethics Month with a September 21st Twitter Chat

SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

Throughout the month of September, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), holds several different activities and events to educate members, professionals and students on modern ethics . Join Dr. Here are some of the questions and topics that we will be discussing; What does ethics in PR really mean? About #PRStudChat.

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This Week in PR Ethics (9/7/23): AI Disinformation and the Evolution of Stakeholder Capitalism

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Now that college is back in session, it is time for me to restart This Week in PR Ethics , a look at the most interesting, important and quirky communication ethics stories of the week. This example shows how even a poorly generated AI image can still drop the DJIA almost 100 points. Is AI racist? –

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This Week in PR Ethics (2/2/23): Non-Competes, Bribes, AI, and Guerilla Marketing Ethics

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

This week the communications ethics issues spanned a wide variety of topics from non-competes, to stupid PR people, to ethics developments with AI and the 16 th Anniversary of one of the dumbest guerilla marketing stunts of all time. Are non-competes ethical ? This was the big news last week, but I am just getting to it now.

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AI Ethics guide foresaw “mutant” A Level algorithm

AUGUST 26, 2020

The CIPR and CPRS has published a best practice guide to the ethical application of artificial intelligence. A new artificial intelligence (AI) ethics guide published by the CIPR and CPRS foresaw this situation. Understanding ethics is hard enough, understanding the potential pitfalls and ethical challenges of AI makes it even harder.

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93 Ethics Issues for Thanksgiving Dinner Discussion in 2023

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

As Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to take a minute and just say how thankful I am to the outstanding students in my Public Relations Ethics class (COM525) as Boston University. We start every class by discussing ethical issues we have seen or read about over the past week. A new code of ethics . How to be an ethical leader.

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This Week in PR Ethics (10/20/22): Favela Tours, Virtuous Radio Hosts, and Virus Research

OCTOBER 20, 2022

This week there were a wide range of ethical issues from slum tourism to sensationalistic news to the importance of stakeholders. The ethics of Favela tours – Fodor’s looks at the return of Favela Tours in Rio and asks – are they ethical ? But my favorite is celebrating the positive, virtuous action by a radio station show host.

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Paddle your own ethical canoe – Filomena Fanelli

JULY 25, 2022

She discusses a number of important ethical issues, including: Why we need to trust but verify. Ethics and predatory lending. I started my career at Rubenstein Associates, had a really solid and ethics filled foundation from them. There are days where ethical challenges are around every turn. Ethics is actions, not words.

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This Week in PR Ethics (11/10/22): Virtue – Twitter, Bruins and Misconduct

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

Marlene Neill had a great assignment for her students this week where they had to analyze a political ad of their choice to see if it was ethical . Beyond the elections, the common theme in PR ethics issues this week was (the lack of) virtue. . Twitter layoffs – Elon Musk gave a masterclass in how not to handle layoffs ethically .

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This Week in PR Ethics (2/23/23): Subway Surfing, Laundering Reputations, and Psychological Targeting

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

This week there were some ironic ethics issues – but the most intriguing articles are both depressing and important. What are the ethics of psychological targeting? In my ethics class, we use layoffs as an example of ethical dilemmas more than anything else. Where do you draw the ethical line?

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Bringing True, Ethical Authenticity to Multicultural Communications – Jennifer Gonzalez

JULY 31, 2023

Jen and I are colleagues, and we had a great ethics discussion recently, so I invited her to be a guest. What is the most difficult ethical challenge you ever confronted at work? Ethical challenges evolve with the times. I have an example . That’s a great example Jen.

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Saying ‘No’ to the Boss: Building Your Ethics Portfolio

In its recently released report , the Commission on Public Relations Education recommended adding a course in ethics to the core PR curriculum. According to the Commission, ethics is “more essential than ever in our current age of disinformation, alternative facts and ‘fake news.’”. Developing ethical competencies.

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This Week in PR Ethics (2/9/23): Organ Harvesting, Fake Diversity, and the AI Arms Race

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

This week I had a hard time deciding which ethics story was more concerning – organ harvesting or fake diversity. It is a clear violation of the ethical principle of autonomy. The examples in the article go beyond over-indexing, like was shared by JP Canton in a 2020 EthicalVoices interview.

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What is Public Relations’ First Responsibility in Ethical Situations? Linda Welter

JANUARY 23, 2023

She discusses a number of important ethics topics, including: Where do you draw the competitive line? What is our first responsibility in ethical situations? Ethics issues with influencers Why don’t you tell us more about yourself and your career? I am currently the CEO and Co-owner of the Caliber Group.

The Integral Role of Ethics in Investor Relations

JUNE 4, 2019

A few months ago, I read something from a PR professional that revealed a certain amount of confusion over the matter of investor relations (IR) and ethics . Compounding this in the piece was the casual and repeated use of the term “ ethical dilemma” when describing an ethical choice or decision. Simplifying our ethical choices.

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S&T Live Recap: Michele Ewing on Ethics in Public Relations and Data Privacy

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Each September, PRSA recognizes Ethics Month as a way to bring increased attention to the core foundation of the communications profession. Programming this month several webinars, including “ Bots, Misrepresentation and More: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Digital Communication ” on Sept. 27 from 3-4 p.m. Ewing, APR, Fellow PRSA.

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Trust: Business Tops Media and Government in Ethics and Competence, Finds Survey

Sword and the Script

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Businesses are increasingly viewed as more ethical and competent than government, media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Business is ethical and competent. According to the survey, business was the only institution that respondents classified as both ethical and competent. click image for higher resolution).

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Succeeding with Conscience: Navigating Ethical Challenges in Career Growth – Bradley Akubuiro

JUNE 27, 2023

He discusses a number of important ethics issues including: How to deal with an ethical quandary: Career advancement or decency? What is the most difficult ethical challenge you ever confronted at work? I’ll give you an example . What is the best ethics advice you ever received? I’m not Pollyannish.

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Legal and Ethical Dimensions: Using Online Data for PR Strategies

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

Each September, PRSA celebrates Ethics Month, featuring programs presented by the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS). This year’s theme is “ Ethics Every Day.” Please join the discussion via #PRethics, and follow along with our ethics -related blog posts, webinars and Twitter Chats throughout the month.

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The Ethical Implications of Blurred Lines – Cheryll Forsatz

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

She discusses a number of important ethics issues, including: The ethical implications of blurred lines Influencer ethics and disclosure Ethics and AI Why don’t you tell us more about yourself and your career? What is the most difficult ethical challenge you ever confronted? They’re a real fan.

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The most important ethics priority for healthcare communicators – Kena Lewis

Kena discusses several important ethics issues, including: What to do ethically when your boss is the problem. The ethical challenges of online identity. The most important ethics priority for healthcare communicators. Looking over your career, what is the most difficult ethical challenge you ever confronted?

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PR Ethics: What Happens When There is a Coup?  – Alex Dance

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

For Ethics Month, I wanted to look at new topics and geographies. He discusses several important ethics issues, including: What should you do when clients are even tangentially affiliated with a coup? Ethical challenges with clickbait. That’s obviously not ethical . The state of misinformation in Cambodia.

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Too many beers: ethics and client conflicts – Ken Kerrigan

AUGUST 1, 2022

Ken discusses a number of important ethics issues, including: Too many beers – Ethics and client conflicts. Can corporations really be ethical media enterprises? We get into a little bit about ethical dilemmas that we might face in the profession, including in today’s stakeholder driven world. That situation arose.

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6 Ways to Improve Your Business Expertise and Strengthen Your Ethical Core

SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

Each September, PRSA recognizes Public Relations Ethics Month, supported by programs presented by the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS). This year’s theme, Public Relations Ethics : Strengthening Our Core, guides a special focus on the six core values highlighted in the PRSA Code of Ethics .

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The ethical challenges of weaponized communication – Elizabeth Edwards

AUGUST 22, 2022

She discusses a number of important issues, including: The ethical challenges of weaponized communication. Here’s one example of a shift that we teach. That is one example of one piece of scientific knowledge that has been normed across business to be how we now ideate to create strategy and thinking.

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Ethics Month, and a Time for Continued Professional Development

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

Each September, PRSA recognizes Public Relations Ethics Month, supported by programs presented by the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS). This year’s theme, Public Relations Ethics : Strengthening Our Core, guides a special focus on the six core values highlighted in the PRSA Code of Ethics .

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The Role of Ethical Leadership in Building Influence: A Female Perspective

JUNE 6, 2022

I asked them to share insights from a recent journal article they authored titled The Role of Ethical Leadership in Building Influence: Perspectives from Female Public Relations Professionals. . Would you please tell us more about this latest ethics study? Ethical leadership is critical. We found several key things.

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This Week in PR Ethics (11/17/22): Stupidity, KFC, and Twitter

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

That is where I see the ethical failures creeping in – with poor MI and AI and not checking for biases. . It is a chilling example to use to drive home that what you say can have consequences – particularly if you say it on outside channels. I was ready to chalk this up to stupidity.

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What societal issues does every company have an ethical duty to support? – Niel Golightly

MARCH 6, 2023

He discusses several important ethics issues, including: An important lesson he learned flying an F-14 over the Indian Ocean What is the hardest ethical decision? What societal issues does every company have an ethical duty to support? Let’s take the energy industry just as one example .

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This Week in PR Ethics (8/25/22): Fake videos, cultural appropriation, and disclosure

AUGUST 25, 2022

I am going to have so many examples to discuss with my students when we go back to class in two weeks. This week in public relations ethics it was everything from disclosure to fake videos, and cultural appropriation. . When does setting ground rules and guard rails cross the line into being unethical?

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Preserving Authenticity: The Nuances of Ethical Storytelling in Advocacy Communications – Zainab Chaudary

JUNE 12, 2023

I worked with coalitions at the intersection of national security and civil liberties – for example , with the coalition working to close Guantanamo Bay at the end of the Obama administration, working to end government surveillance. What is the most difficult ethical challenge you ever confronted? It lacks originality.

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This Week in PR Ethics (9/22/22): Misinformation, NyQuil, Conflict of Interest and Walking the Walk

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

This week there were quite a few ethical issues. This is a great example for discussion over what is a real conflict of interest. . Is It Ethical for Employers to Monitor Your Social Media? Where is the ethical line between your work and personal life? million in debt. This is always a popular topic with my students.

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Is It Plagiarism or Jumping on a Trend? The Ethics of Social Media Content

Contently - Strategy

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

For example , despite existing platform policies that expressly prohibit the posting of stolen content, Facebook was reluctant to remove stolen content related to anti-vaccination and QAnon conspiracies. For example , Kylie Cosmetics went viral for all the wrong reasons for plagiarizing smaller cosmetic companies. Be inspired.

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What the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Mean for Communicators

pr ethics case studies

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down three high-profile decisions in 2023 that have major implications for public relations practitioners and communicators. While the impact of each of these cases, which involve affirmative action, fair use and copyright, and legal immunity for online platforms, is yet to be fully realized, communication professionals should expect to experience the residual effects of each of these decisions. 

Ending Affirmative Action in Higher Education:  Implications for Private Sector Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

One of the major shifts in U.S. higher education came with the ending of affirmative action in the cases Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and companion case Students for Fair Admissions v. the University of North Carolina .  In these cases, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that considering race in college admissions violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  The impact of this ruling will not be seen immediately, but many consider this a signal of a decreased focus on racial diversity in colleges.  As a result, there is some indication that this decision will create a new style of admissions process (notably Harvard University stated it would continue to promote diversity while adhering to the ruling).  In the communication industry, there may be shrinking racial diversity in recent college graduates that could result in a diversity decrease in public relations. 

However, this ruling may have further implications beyond college admissions. Many in the private sector are asking whether this decision will usher in a new group of lawsuits concerning corporate DEI programs.  The answer is likely not—for now.  There is a practical and legal distinction between the affirmative action decisions in admission and DEI initiatives.  For instance, in employment law there is established anti-discrimination laws in place for discrimination against race, religion, national origin, disabilities, age, and other characteristics.  This is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a variety of state anti-discrimination laws.  The Harvard and UNC cases were not decided under those laws, so the discussion around employment and DEI initiatives is a different legal conversation.

However, it is likely that there will be future lawsuits about DEI initiatives in the private sector that will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to extend its rationale beyond college admissions to private organizations.  The results of these types of lawsuits remain to be seen.  Despite how DEI is portrayed in the media, the field itself is highly complex and includes content that presents diversity broadly defined, including content and programming about raising awareness about a variety of issues such as unconscious bias, accessibility, salary transparency, gender, and sexual orientation.  Because of that, DEI is not necessarily an item that directly relates to hiring and promotion decisions. However, communicators should be aware that this is a shifting legal landscape, and that DEI initiatives focusing on inclusivity writ large have a greater protection against legal challenges.  Initiatives that could be interpreted as leading to certain hiring decisions based on protected characteristics a more vulnerable to lawsuits.

Because the challenges to DEI are coming from both private lawsuits and state laws, communicators need to stay current on the shifting legal landscape.  Some states have proposed or enacted both laws that promote and eliminate DEI initiatives.  All those state laws are also subject to constitutional lawsuits, notably Florida’s Individual Freedom Act, popularly called the “Stop WOKE Act,” currently enjoined by federal courts.  Communications plays a role as well.  As the legal landscape surrounding affirmative action and discrimination changes, it will be public relations practitioners who are tasked with explaining and communicating these measures to internal and external publics. 

Fair Use and Copyright:  The Future of Derivative Works

Public relations practitioners and communicators are always affected by any change in copyright law.  Those creating content need to be especially careful of using copyrighted material in derivative works after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts v. Goldsmith .  This 7-2 decision, with a cross section of liberal and conservative justices in the majority, held that a silkscreen portrait derived from popular photograph of the musician Prince did not constitute fair use. The holding in this case has major implications for content creators.  For owners of copyrighted works, it means that the transformative “purpose and character” element of fair use includes commerciality as a consideration.  For communicators, this means copyright holders have a greater right of control of content.  The downside for content creators, particularly artists and illustrators, is that when creating transformative work, fair use may not exist when the use itself is for the same commercial purpose as the original.

What does this mean?  The U.S. Code Title 17 section 107 lists the four factors of fair use:

1.) Purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes. 2.) The nature of copyrighted work 3.) The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole. 4.) Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work

In Warhol the image in question was a 1981 photo of Prince taken by Lynn Goldsmith for a Newsweek article on Prince as a new popular musician.  Later, Goldsmith licensed the photo in 1984 for $400 to Vanity Fair magazine to use as the basis for an illustration in an article about Prince.  Vanity Fair hired Andy Warhol to produce the illustration, which was a silkscreen portrait of Prince.  Warhol created 16 versions of the silkscreen, one of which was entitled “Orange Prince.”  Upon Warhol’s death, the Andy Warhol Foundation (AWF) held the silkscreens, and in 2016 Vanity Fair received a license from the AWF to use “Orange Prince” for its commemorative edition after Prince died.  Goldsmith who received no compensation for “Orange Prince” and notified the AWF that she believed “Orange Prince” constituted infringement.  AWF claimed the use of the photo was fair use because it was transformative of the original photograph.  A lawsuit between Goldsmith and the AWF ensued with the U.S. Supreme Court analyzing the first factor of fair use “the purpose and character of the use.” 

The U.S. Supreme Court held that the purpose and character of the use by Warhol did not constitute fair use. Specifically, the court held that “transformativeness” of the original photograph was not enough to constitute fair use under purpose and character.  That transformativeness had to be considered considering commercial use of the new image, which in this case is the silkscreen.  Because the original photograph in 1981 and the later silkscreen version of “Orange Prince” were commercial in nature, this weighed against fair use.  After all, the original photograph and the later licensing of “Orange Prince” were for the same purpose and the same commercial ends—a magazine article about Prince. 

This case has raised many questions about artistic creation, and there was a robust exchange in the opinion between Justices Sotomayor and Kagan who were on opposite sides.  However, for communicators in commercial production of content, this case should serve as a cautionary tale.  Getting the permission of copyright holders is even more important, even when the copyright at issue is one where something is transformed from the original.  Licensing is a way to mitigate any uncertainty in the creation of content, and assuming fair use is a risky endeavor, especially because the establishment of fair use is not going to be determined unless a lawsuit is brought.  In this case, fair use and its first factor has become more legally complex, and there may be more cases that emerge post- Warhol ; the dissent in this case emphasized that the majority opinion will have the impact of stifling artistic expression. That may be. But the bottom line for communicators is that fair use is harder to prove than it used to be, and infringement cases against parties who commercially use content without permission have a higher likelihood of prevailing.

Legal Immunity and the Future of Online Liability

One of the biggest issues in recent years has been the legal immunity that internet companies have had from lawsuits arising from third-party content.  Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has been a rallying cry for the left and right in recent years with “cancel 230” becoming a political slogan in the past few election cycles.  The Institute for Public Relations published a piece in 2020 on section 230 during the Trump administration’s attempt to remove its protection for internet companies that were perceived to be anti-conservative.

This past term, the U.S. Supreme Court waded into the discussion about section 230 but stopped short of making any changes to the immunity of online platforms.  In Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh the court heard a section 230 issue that involved terrorist-created internet content.  The U.S. Supreme Court was thought to be potentially weighing the future of this important aspect of how the internet functions, but ultimately these cases were decided on grounds outside of section 230.  There was a fear that the Court was ill-equipped with handing the technical implications of changing the protections of section 230.  Justice Kagan acknowledged as much as she said in the oral argument, “I mean, we’re a court. We really don’t know about these things. You know, these are not like the nine greatest experts on the Internet” ( Gonzalez v. Google , 2023, p. 45).

What this means for PR practitioners and communicators is the internet and its structure is here to stay for now.  This immunity for organizations, such as social media platforms, that host third-party content protects them from an onslaught of lawsuits.  While some Members of Congress have attempted to change the widespread immunity that section 230 provides, they so far have been unsuccessful. 

This has real-world implications for communications practice, especially in terms of managing reputations, combatting fake reviews, and engaging with activist reviewers.  Internet platforms that host third-party content, however untrue or defamatory, remain immune from lawsuits.  Any changes on immunity will likely be legislative rather than judicial, and given the current gridlock in Washington D.C., an immediate change seems unlikely.

Going Forward

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in 2023 have significant impacts on the communications industry in terms of DEI, intellectual property, and internet protections.  Going forward there will be a continuation of changes to the industry. Currently, the U.S. and other nations are struggling to find the right balance between regulation and AI.  The issue of privacy, discrimination, and civil rights will continue to be of top importance.  Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that for public relations and professional communicators, the evolving nature of law is perhaps more important than ever.  As the communication sector becomes more technological, philosophically, and economically complex, the impact of U.S. Supreme Court cases impacts not both how and what PR practitioners say.

17 U.S.C. §107.

47 U.S.C. §230.

Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts v. Goldsmith , No. 21-869 (U.S. 2023)

Gonzalez v. Google , No. 21-1333 (U.S. 2023).

Gonzalez v. Google , 21-1333, OT 2022-23, 1 (U.S. 2023). Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2022/21- 1333_f2ag.pdf.

H.R. 7, 124th Leg. Reg. Sess. (Fla. 2022).

Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College , No. 21-1199 (U.S. 2023).

Students for Fair Admissions v. the University of North Carolina , No. 27-707 (U.S. 2023).

Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§2000e et seq.

  Twitter v. Taamneh , No. 21-1496 (U.S. 2023).

pr ethics case studies

Cayce Myers, Ph.D., LL.M., J.D., APR is a professor and director of graduate studies at the Virginia Tech School of Communication.  He is the Legal Research Editor for the Institute for Public Relations.  He can be reached at [email protected].

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Marium Abdulhussein

Heidy Modarelli handles Growth & Marketing for IPR. She has previously written for Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, The Next Web, and VentureBeat. Follow on Twitter

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Ethics Ethics Case Studies

The SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of journalists, regardless of place or platform, and is widely used in newsrooms and classrooms as a guide for ethical behavior. The code is intended not as a set of "rules" but as a resource for ethical decision-making. It is not — nor can it be under the First Amendment — legally enforceable. For an expanded explanation, please follow this link .

pr ethics case studies

For journalism instructors and others interested in presenting ethical dilemmas for debate and discussion, SPJ has a useful resource. We've been collecting a number of case studies for use in workshops. The Ethics AdviceLine operated by the Chicago Headline Club and Loyola University also has provided a number of examples. There seems to be no shortage of ethical issues in journalism these days. Please feel free to use these examples in your classes, speeches, columns, workshops or other modes of communication.

Kobe Bryant’s Past: A Tweet Too Soon? On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash in the Los Angeles area. While the majority of social media praised Bryant after his death, within a few hours after the story broke, Felicia Sonmez, a reporter for The Washington Post , tweeted a link to an article from 2003 about the allegations of sexual assault against Bryant. The question: Is there a limit to truth-telling? How long (if at all) should a journalist wait after a person’s death before resurfacing sensitive information about their past?

A controversial apology After photographs of a speech and protests at Northwestern University appeared on the university's newspaper's website, some of the participants contacted the newspaper to complain. It became a “firestorm,” — first from students who felt victimized, and then, after the newspaper apologized, from journalists and others who accused the newspaper of apologizing for simply doing its job. The question: Is an apology the appropriate response? Is there something else the student journalists should have done?

Using the ‘Holocaust’ Metaphor People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is a nonprofit animal rights organization known for its controversial approach to communications and public relations. In 2003, PETA launched a new campaign, named “Holocaust on Your Plate,” that compares the slaughter of animals for human use to the murder of 6 million Jews in WWII. The question: Is “Holocaust on Your Plate” ethically wrong or a truthful comparison?

Aaargh! Pirates! (and the Press) As collections of songs, studio recordings from an upcoming album or merely unreleased demos, are leaked online, these outlets cover the leak with a breaking story or a blog post. But they don’t stop there. Rolling Stone and Billboard often also will include a link within the story to listen to the songs that were leaked. The question: If Billboard and Rolling Stone are essentially pointing readers in the right direction, to the leaked music, are they not aiding in helping the Internet community find the material and consume it?

Reigning on the Parade Frank Whelan, a features writer who also wrote a history column for the Allentown, Pennsylvania, Morning Call , took part in a gay rights parade in June 2006 and stirred up a classic ethical dilemma. The situation raises any number of questions about what is and isn’t a conflict of interest. The question: What should the “consequences” be for Frank Whelan?

Controversy over a Concert Three former members of the Eagles rock band came to Denver during the 2004 election campaign to raise money for a U.S. Senate candidate, Democrat Ken Salazar. John Temple, editor and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News, advised his reporters not to go to the fundraising concerts. The question: Is it fair to ask newspaper staffers — or employees at other news media, for that matter — not to attend events that may have a political purpose? Are the rules different for different jobs at the news outlet?

Deep Throat, and His Motive The Watergate story is considered perhaps American journalism’s defining accomplishment. Two intrepid young reporters for The Washington Post , carefully verifying and expanding upon information given to them by sources they went to great lengths to protect, revealed brutally damaging information about one of the most powerful figures on Earth, the American president. The question: Is protecting a source more important than revealing all the relevant information about a news story?

When Sources Won’t Talk The SPJ Code of Ethics offers guidance on at least three aspects of this dilemma. “Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error.” One source was not sufficient in revealing this information. The question: How could the editors maintain credibility and remain fair to both sides yet find solid sources for a news tip with inflammatory allegations?

A Suspect “Confession” John Mark Karr, 41, was arrested in mid-August in Bangkok, Thailand, at the request of Colorado and U.S. officials. During questioning, he confessed to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. Karr was arrested after Michael Tracey, a journalism professor at the University of Colorado, alerted authorities to information he had drawn from e-mails Karr had sent him over the past four years. The question: Do you break a confidence with your source if you think it can solve a murder — or protect children half a world away?

Who’s the “Predator”? “To Catch a Predator,” the ratings-grabbing series on NBC’s Dateline, appeared to catch on with the public. But it also raised serious ethical questions for journalists. The question: If your newspaper or television station were approached by Perverted Justice to participate in a “sting” designed to identify real and potential perverts, should you go along, or say, “No thanks”? Was NBC reporting the news or creating it?

The Media’s Foul Ball The Chicago Cubs in 2003 were five outs from advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1945 when a 26-year-old fan tried to grab a foul ball, preventing outfielder Moises Alou from catching it. The hapless fan's identity was unknown. But he became recognizable through televised replays as the young baby-faced man in glasses, a Cubs baseball cap and earphones who bobbled the ball and was blamed for costing the Cubs a trip to the World Series. The question: Given the potential danger to the man, should he be identified by the media?

Publishing Drunk Drivers’ Photos When readers of The Anderson News picked up the Dec. 31, 1997, issue of the newspaper, stripped across the top of the front page was a New Year’s greeting and a warning. “HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR,” the banner read. “But please don’t drink and drive and risk having your picture published.” Readers were referred to the editorial page where White explained that starting in January 1998 the newspaper would publish photographs of all persons convicted of drunken driving in Anderson County. The question: Is this an appropriate policy for a newspaper?

Naming Victims of Sex Crimes On January 8, 2007, 13-year-old Ben Ownby disappeared while walking home from school in Beaufort, Missouri. A tip from a school friend led police on a frantic four-day search that ended unusually happily: the police discovered not only Ben, but another boy as well—15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck, who, four years earlier, had disappeared while riding his bike at the age of 11. Media scrutiny on Shawn’s years of captivity became intense. The question: Question: Should children who are thought to be the victims of sexual abuse ever be named in the media? What should be done about the continued use of names of kidnap victims who are later found to be sexual assault victims? Should use of their names be discontinued at that point?

A Self-Serving Leak San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams were widely praised for their stories about sports figures involved with steroids. They turned their investigation into a very successful book, Game of Shadows . And they won the admiration of fellow journalists because they were willing to go to prison to protect the source who had leaked testimony to them from the grand jury investigating the BALCO sports-and-steroids. Their source, however, was not quite so noble. The question: Should the two reporters have continued to protect this key source even after he admitted to lying? Should they have promised confidentiality in the first place?

The Times and Jayson Blair Jayson Blair advanced quickly during his tenure at The New York Times , where he was hired as a full-time staff writer after his internship there and others at The Boston Globe and The Washington Post . Even accusations of inaccuracy and a series of corrections to his reports on Washington, D.C.-area sniper attacks did not stop Blair from moving on to national coverage of the war in Iraq. But when suspicions arose over his reports on military families, an internal review found that he was fabricating material and communicating with editors from his Brooklyn apartment — or within the Times building — rather than from outside New York. The question: How does the Times investigate problems and correct policies that allowed the Blair scandal to happen?

Cooperating with the Government It began on Jan. 18, 2005, and ended two weeks later after the longest prison standoff in recent U.S. history. The question: Should your media outlet go along with the state’s request not to release the information?

Offensive Images Caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad didn’t cause much of a stir when they were first published in September 2005. But when they were republished in early 2006, after Muslim leaders called attention to the 12 images, it set off rioting throughout the Islamic world. Embassies were burned; people were killed. After the rioting and killing started, it was difficult to ignore the cartoons. Question: Do we publish the cartoons or not?

The Sting Perverted-Justice.com is a Web site that can be very convenient for a reporter looking for a good story. But the tactic raises some ethical questions. The Web site scans Internet chat rooms looking for men who can be lured into sexually explicit conversations with invented underage correspondents. Perverted-Justice posts the men’s pictures on its Web site. Is it ethically defensible to employ such a sting tactic? Should you buy into the agenda of an advocacy group — even if it’s an agenda as worthy as this one?

A Media-Savvy Killer Since his first murder in 1974, the “BTK” killer — his own acronym, for “bind, torture, kill” — has sent the Wichita Eagle four letters and one poem. How should a newspaper, or other media outlet, handle communications from someone who says he’s guilty of multiple sensational crimes? And how much should it cooperate with law enforcement authorities?

A Congressman’s Past The (Portland) Oregonian learned that a Democratic member of the U.S. Congress, up for re-election to his fourth term, had been accused by an ex-girlfriend of a sexual assault some 28 years previously. But criminal charges never were filed, and neither the congressman, David Wu, nor his accuser wanted to discuss the case now, only weeks before the 2004 election. Question: Should The Oregonian publish this story?

Using this Process to Craft a Policy It used to be that a reporter would absolutely NEVER let a source check out a story before it appeared. But there has been growing acceptance of the idea that it’s more important to be accurate than to be independent. Do we let sources see what we’re planning to write? And if we do, when?

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pr ethics case studies

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    8 years ago by Jason Mollica 18,375 Views Editor's note: As we celebrate Public Relations Ethics Month this September, PRSA invited members of the Board of Ethics & Professional Standards (BEPS) to offer their views and thoughts on the ethical topics affecting the PR profession.

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    1. Define the specific ethical issue and/or conflict. 2. Identify internal/external factors that may influence the decision. Case Study #4 BEPS 11-05-01 Public Relations Society of America Board of Ethics and Professional Standards Code of Ethics Case Studies 2001-2002 3. Identify key values. 4.

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  18. PDF Public Relations Ethics Case Study #2 Competition

    Code of Ethics Case Study Series 4. Identify the parties who will be affected by the decision and define the public relations professional's obligation to each. Competitor and employees, elected officials, media, general public, losing firm and its employees. 5. Select ethical principles to guide the decision making process.

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    Case Study #5 BEPS 08-30-11 PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards Ethics and Standards Case Study Series Public Relations Ethics Case Study #5 Plagiarism One of your agency's largest clients is a leading international airline and the client has asked you to write a speech for the Chairman of the Board that will be delivered at an