Effective Public Relations Chapter # 4 ethics and professionalism

What is Ethics? Value system(what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable/ personal belief on a moral or ethical issue.) to determine what is right/wrong, fair/unfair, just/unjust

Explanation: Ethics is the branch of study dealing with what is the proper course of action for man. It answers the question, "What do I do?" It is the study of right and wrong in human endeavors. At a more fundamental level, it is the method by which we categorize our values and pursue them. Ethics are not merely social conventions, like table manners. Ethics define the social conditions necessary for human beings to thrive. (business values are fairness, innovation and community involvement.)

ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS The primary goal is to protect the client of professional services . At the same time , however ,self-policing in the professions protects the professional franchise and maintains public trust .

Professional Ethics Right conduct suggest that actions are consistent/ unfailing with moral values generally accepted as norms in a society or culture . In professions, the application of moral values in practice is referred to as “applied ethics” Established professions translate widely shared ideas of right conduct into formal codes of ethics and professional conduct . These statement of applied ethics guide professional practice. The principle behind professional ethics is that one’s actions are designed to create the greatest good for both the client and community as a whole rather than to enhance the position and power of the practitioner.

The Imperative of Trust You trust the professional with information and access that often are withheld from even your closest friends and family. Often, you actually hand over yourself and your assets to the professional that is , you enter a fiduciary relationship, meaning the professional holds you , and possibly your assets, in trust and is grateful to act in your best interest . This obligation differentiates the professional from other knowledgeable and skilled worker.

Professional Privilege Professionals traditionally hold privileged position in society because of the value and trust natural in fiduciary relationships. Additionally , professionals do work that is seen as especially valuable , in part because of the preparation and practice needed to develop the required knowledge and skills. Because money alone is not the only reward for such work , society extends privileges to its practitioners . So not only must professionals invest a great deal of time to acquire and maintain their own knowledge and skills but they must also commit themselves to uphold the profession by honoring its obligations and values.

To protect both clients and their own privileged positions in society , professions establish codes of ethics and standards of practice. When professional violate fiduciary relationships or otherwise exploit clients, or when they perform substandard practice, they threaten not only their client’s welfare but that of their entire profession .

Social Responsibility Professions then must also fulfill expectations and moral obligations at the level of society. Commitment to serve society applies to both individual practitioners and the profession collectively . It means that right conduct takes into account the welfare of the larger society as the professional helps clients to solve problems.

Professional Education “ public relations will never reach the status of a profession as long as people can get into the field and prosper without having completed a fairly demanding course of study in the field .” Established professions require extended periods of trainings to learn the knowledge and skills needed to the practice ; generally the more rigorous the training and the more esoteric (very unusual) the knowledge, the higher the professional status. Because of the commitment , time, and effort invested in acquiring the knowledge and the skill base , professional value achievement in intellectual aspects of their fields .

Degree Program University level instruction in public relations dates from 1920.(Publicity Course) Edward L.Bernays offered the first Public Relations Course in 1923. Commission on Public Relation Education in America without identifying specific courses , the commission listed five core content areas of study: Principles, practice and theory of public relation: Introduces theories managerial tasks and ethical responsibilities. This is a concepts and principles course not a skill or production course.

Public relation techniques: writing ,message broadcasting , and media networks. Stresses writing, designing, editing and distributing written materials used in public relations practice. Public relation research for planning and evaluation: Introduces the use of research to identify problems and publics, to determine action and communication strategies and to assess program results

Public relation strategy and implementation: Applying case-methods to give students experiences in program planning , managerial analysis and program administration . Supervised public relations experience: Provides hand on experience in an internship , workshop or cooperative education setting.

The recommended graduate curriculum includes either a thesis research project or comprehensive examinations and the following core course Communication Theory:- Examines principal theories ,processes and models, including concepts and systems. Communication Research :- Includes data analysis and logic related to research design and procedures. Research Design and Critical Analysis :- Examines modern research methodology and original research design emphasizing hypothesis testing .

Communication in Society :- Explores role and impact of communication ( particularly mass media) . Considers historical, legal and economic issues. Advanced Public Relation Case Studies :- Examines representative public relations organizations, their problems and their procedures. Public Relation Management :- Analysis public relations as a primary management responsibility , emphasizing resolution of conflicts between private and public sectors of society.

Europe’s first postgraduate degree in Public Relation was offered by the School of Management at the university of Stirling , Scotland, UK established in 1988 the Master of Science in PR.

Licensing and Accreditation Licensing standards and criteria and finally codes of ethics in public conduct have been necessary to exclude those who are not properly qualified. A single well-publicized and strongly enforced certification program is needed to move public relation toward professional status . Current practice continues to be guided by weak voluntary codes , cracked efforts by different associations and societies and no state licensing . This situation weakens claims of professionalism and high ethical standards.

Personal Ethics Be honest at all times Convey a sense of business ethics based on your own standards and those of society Respect the integrity and position of your opponents and audiences Develop trust at any cost Present all sides of an issue Strive for a balance between loyalty to the organization and duty to the public Don’t sacrifice long-term objectives for short-term gains