Comstrat 312 1nd EditionExam # 2 Study Guide Lectures: 9-16CHAPTER 51. Complaints about PRa. Deceptiveb. May encourage harmful activitiesc. Contributes to product costd. Reduces competition and creates barriers to market entry i. Corrodes our channels of communication with cynicism and credibility gapsii. Clutters channels of communication with the debris of pseudo-events and phony phrases that confuse or influence rather than clarify2. Benefits of PRa. Advocates organizational adjustment and adaptationb. Contributes to an informed pubic by making all points of view knownc. Aids in problem-solving processes including conflict resolution d. Serves a media support functione. Benefits of PR as marketing communicationi. Promoted competition and makes new brand entry possibleii. Results in consumer awareness of products and servicesiii. Supports media1. True for advertising in particular2. Without advertising we have no media, unless people want to payf. PR improves professional practice by codifying and enforcing ethical conduct and standards of performanceg. PR improves the conduct of organizations by emphasizing the need for public approvalETHICS3. What are ethicsa. Definitioni. Moral philosophy, values and dealing with moral duty or obligation1. Conforming to professional standardsii. Ethics concern questions of right or wrong, fair or unfair, good or bad, responsible or irresponsible1. Applied ethics2. Jaska and pritchiii. Ethical questions often raise issues related to trust and reputationiv. Questionable behavior begs the question1. Can I trust your organization at alla. Silverman v. The concern for ethics is to protect those who entrust their well-being to the profession1. Professional privilege, status, and collegiality 2. Fiduciary relationshipsa. The professional holds you in trust and is obliged to act in your best interest3. Hippocratic Oatha. Written in 400 BCE, obligates physicians to work for the benefit, not harm, of patients vi. Social responsibility1. Value to society is enhances when a. It promotes the free, ethical competition of ideas, information, and education in the marketplace of public opinionb. It reveals the source and goals of participants in the debatec. It enforces high standards of conduct2. Value to society is diminished whena. It suppresses or otherwise limits competition of ideasb. It hides or ascribes to others the sources of PR effortsc. It leaves unchallenged incompetent or unethical practice b. Practitioners must balance or satisfy:i. The public’s interestii. Employers’ and clients’ expectationsiii. Professional codes of ethicsiv. Their own personal values c. Ethical dilemmai. Crisis due to unresolved differences concerning an issue or problemd. Ethical lapsei. Practitioner behavior that fails to apply ethical standards 4. Ethical considerationsa. Many ethical dilemmas concern the truthb. Personal ethics usually begin where laws endi. It may be legal, but it is ethicalc. If an action is legal many practitioners also consider it ethical d. Some questions to consideri. Who are we trying to influence and whyii. What do we have to say in order to wine. Whether a code is used or not often matters less than who is responsible for making ethical decisions5. Different ethical opinionsa. A practitioner’s job is to serve as a client mouthpiece regardless of personal viewsb. I can work for clients/employers holding opinions at variance with my own as long as they don’t affect my workc. You should quit or decline jobs that are counter to you personal views 6. PRSA code of ethics core principlesa. Who are the primary beneficiaries of professional ethics in PRi. Public relations professionalsii. PR ethics benefits PR practitioners b. Free flow of informationi. Protecting and advancing free flow of accurate, truthful information1. Improper to give expensive race skis to columnists to influence product reviews c. Competitioni. Promoting healthy and fair competition among PR professionals1. Improper to give inside info to firm competing for organization’s business d. Disclosure of informationi. Open communication fosters informed decision making1. Improper to implement campaign on behalf of undisclosed interest groupe. Safeguarding confidencesi. Client trust requires protection of confidential, private information1. Improper to change jobs and use confidential information in new position f. Conflict of interesti. Avoiding conflicts of interest builds trust of clients, employers, and public1. Improper to fail to inform a prospective client that you represent acompetitor 7. IABC Poll: Practitioners Shoulda. Be honest at all timesb. Convey a sense of ethics to othersc. Respect the positions of you opponentsd. Develop trust by emphasizing substance over trivialityi. Avoid spine. Understand and present all sides of an issuef. Strive for balance between loyalty and dutyg. Don’t sacrifice long-term objectives for short-term gains8. PRSA Webinara. Trust is the key to your organization’s reputationi. And to your reputationb. Success (profits, however you define them) is based on a strong reputationi. Positive public opinions, donations, whatever you work inc. Strong reputations come from doing the right thingi. Hiring a lot of talent, and young people PR PROFESSION9. Components of Professiona. Specialized education providing unique knowledge and skillsb. Professional associationsc. Recognition by community of unique and essential serviced. Body of theory-based knowledge developed through research e. Codes of ethics and standards of performance established and enforced by a self-governing association of colleaguesf. Autonomy in practice and acceptance of personal responsibility by practitioners10. Moving toward a professiona. Professional societiesi. Codes of ethicsii. Peer-reviewed judicial committeesiii. Standards for membershipb. Growing body of scholarly and professional/technical publicationsc. Education, training and research in many universitiesd. An increase in the status of practitionerse. Increasing public service contributions by practitioners 11. Education preparationa. Degree programsi. Theory, origin, principles and profession practice of PRii. PR ethics and lawiii. PR research, measurement, and performance evaluationiv. PR planning and managementv. PR writing and productionb. Continuing educationi. Profession development seminars and workshopsc. Educational resources12. Regulation and accreditationa. No formal, governmental