Public Relations Ethics Research Articles

PRSA members' perceptions of public relations ethics

Abstract This study examines the reported ethical beliefs and behaviors of 307 practitioners (all members of the Public Relations Society of America) in the mid-Atlantic district of the United States, and compares their beliefs and behaviors with their perceptions of those of their peers and top management. Beliefs of top management are perceived as more ethical than those of both practitioners and peers, but top management is perceived as less likely to take disciplinary action against unethical behaviors. Among four demographic characteristics, age has the most significant relationship with self-reported ethical standards.

Public relations: The empirical research on practitioner ethics

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.

A Theory-Based Approach to Public Relations Ethics

A Theory-Based Approach to Public Relations Ethics

Perspectives on public relations history

If all writing about the past is partly an effort to understand the present, a confusing and contradictory present would seem to call more insistently for historical analysis and explanation. This is particularly true for the profession and academic discipline of public relations. In spite of a consensus about the role of public relations in contemporary organizations-a consensus evident in the many defi nitions of public relations that stress its role as a management function-a long list of diffi cult questions about the profession remains. To what bodies of theory can public relations legitimately lay claim? Is there, or can there be, something called public relations theory? Is public relations a profession? Should the practice of public relations be regulated, licensed? What kind of education is required for the practice of public relations? Does the public relations curriculum belong in journalism departments, schools of business, schools of public affairs, or in a department all its own? To what set of values should public relations adhere? What makes the practice of public relations legitimate? In whose interest should public relations be practiced? What constitutes ethical public relations practice?

Ethics in college and university public relations

Ethics in college and university public relations

Albert J. Sullivan's theory of public relations ethics

Albert J. Sullivan's theory of public relations ethics

Are public relations texts covering ethics adequately?

As the public relations (PR) field becomes more and more concerned about ethics, attention turns to ethics instruction in university public relations programs. Analysis of six leading public relations texts shows a wide disparity in coverage of the topic, ranging from sparse philosophical to primarily anecdotal. According to the author, no basic conceptual framework has emerged to suggest common ground for studying public relations ethics and the default position seems to be to teach social responsibility / professionalism.

Age and the moral values of practitioners

Despite considerable discussions about greater need for research and discussion about ethics in public relations, few empirical studies have been conducted on the topic. This study employs a well-known social science measuring instrument to gauge differences in moral and ethical values between younger and older public relations practitioners. The study finds that age has a progressive effect on moral values among public relations practitioners, particularly in areas such as basic morality and basic honesty. The two age groups were more similar in terms of legal issues, economic morality and religious morality. Dr. Wright, an associate editor of Public Relations Review , is chairman, Department of Communication Arts, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Ala.