Cutlip & Center's Effective PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. Cutlip & Center'sEffectivePUBLIC RELATIONS PART II Foundations Chapter 5 Professionalism and Ethics Tenth Edition

2. Study Guide After studying Chapter 5, you should be able to: Identify the five characteristics of professions. Describe the major professional organizations serving the field. Describe the program of study recommended by the Commission on Public Relations Education. Identify the major motivations behind concern for professional ethics in public relations practice. 5-1

3. Study Guide After studying Chapter 5, you should be able to: List and briefly discuss the positive socially responsible public relations, as well as the major negatives attributed to the practice when not practiced in the public interest. Outline and apply some of the major articles from the Public Relations of America Code of Ethics. Outline the major arguments for and against licensing and accreditation of practitioners. 5-2

4. Attributes of a Profession Requires specialized education to acquire a body of knowledge and skills based on theory developed through research. Provides a unique and essential service recognized by the community. Emphasizes public service and social responsibility over private interests. 5-3

5. Attributes of a Profession Gives autonomy to and places responsibility on practitioners. Enforces codes of ethics and standards of performance through a self-governing association of colleagues. 5-4

6. Professional Organizations International Association of Business Communicators International Public Relations Association The Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management Public Relations Society of America Canadian Public Relations Society Public Relations Institute of (fill in country) 5-5

7. Public Relations Education • 1923—Bernays teaches first course • 1946—30 colleges offer 47 courses • 1956—90 colleges offer courses • 1970—300 colleges offer one or more courses/majors • 1981—10,000 students 5-6

8. Public Relations Curriculum Theory and principles Ethics and law Research Planning and management Writing and production 5-7

9. Professional Ethics Professions translate widely shared ideas of right conduct into “codes of ethics” that guide the practice and provide a basis for enforcement and sanctions. 5-8

10. Professional Ethics Why the concern for ethics? To protect those who entrust their well-being to the professional—the “fiduciary relationship.” To protect professional privilege and status. 5-9

11. Social Positives of Public Relations Improves professional practice by enforcing codes of ethics and standards of performance. Improves the conduct of organizations by stressing the need for public approval. Articulates all points of view in the public forum (“court of public opinion”). 5-10

12. Social Positives of Public Relations Replaces misinformation and discord with information and rapport. Helps social systems adapt to changing needs and environments. 5-11

13. Social Negatives of Public Relations Gains advantages for and promoting special interest at the cost of public well-being. Clutters channels of communication with the debris of pseudo-events and phony phrases. Corrodes the public information system with cynicism and “spin.” 5-12

14. “The Deal” for Occupational Licensure Represents state-granted permission to practice. Requires demonstrating a compelling state interest would be served by licensing. Calls for safeguarding practitioner’s and organization’s freedom of expression (First Amendment). 5-13

15. Public relations does not have “the deal”—licensing—with states and national governments in most countries. Instead, the major professional organizationsadminister “accreditation” programs. 5-14

16. Professional Accreditation “Accreditation” programs are administered by professional associations to certify competence–usually based on written examinations and oral defenses before a panel of accredited peers. 5-15

17. Professional Accreditation APR—Accredited Public Relations Universal Accreditation Board (Public Relations Society of America and nine other professional groups) ABC—Accredited BusinessCommunicator International Association of Business Communicators 5-16

18. Ethics Case #1 Your employer/client—a professional sports franchise—asks you to set up a supposedly independent citizens’ group to pressure the city council to approve a new tax-supported stadium. Your employer/client will secretly finance the group. According to the PRSA Member Code of Ethics, what is wrong with this proposal? How do you handle this situation? 5-17

19. Ethics Case #2 You are asked to give a series of speeches about a new medical waste incinerator being installed at hospitals owned by your employer. When you review the manufacturer’s literature and independent test data, you learn that some of the safety claims your superiors want to include in the speech are not true. What is wrong with you giving the speeches? What should you do? 5-18

20. Ethics Case #3 You freelance for a high-tech client, doing media relations. The client asks you to do the communication support for the company’s initial public offering (“IPO”). You decline because you have no experience in investor relations. Instead, to repay a favor, you refer the client to a friend who sends you a $500 “referral fee.” What is potentially unethical about this? What should you do? 5-19

21. Professionalism and Ethics “Ethics and expertise belong together; only together to they constitute true professionalism and provide a morally acceptable foundation for professional fiduciary services.” Hans-Martin Sass 5-20

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