Ethics

Earlier we discussed ethics and how what is deemed good is relative. Additionally, we questioned the purpose of an organization such as the PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) if they are unable to actually enforce their honor code - especially in a world where ethics and morals are relative. The fact of the matter is that there are more mechanisms at work than what has been observed so far. These mechanisms, while they do relate to public relations as a practice, extend far beyond a profession and into society.

Normative moral theory posits that one is morally required to do such and such, in such and such way, in such and such circumstances. For example, if an individual is assaulted or robbed and we are present during or after the incident, then it comes naturally that we help them. It is just the right thing to do, correct?

Contractarianism states that an act is wrong if its performance under the circumstance would be disallowed by any system of rules for the general regulation of behavior. “Individuals are self-interested; that is, they seek to fulfill their interests and desires and above all seek self-preservation” (Mackinnon 2013, p. 53). Conflict happens when separate individuals seek the same thing which results in a fight where one tries to overpower the other in their shared pursuit of happiness. These individuals will “live in a continual fear and danger of a violent death” (Mackinnon 2013, p. 53). “The solution is peace, in which one gives up so much liberty…[by agreeing to] certain societal rules that would be in everyone’s best interest to accept and obey” (Mackinnon 2013, p. 53).  Simply put, in order to successfully enjoy life and exercise our pursuit of happiness, sans fear of another individual harming or killing us during, we forfeit absolute freedom and obey laws established to remove these threats.

We agreed to a code of honor established so that we can pursue our happiness; we enjoy freedoms that could otherwise be taken from us if a sovereign power didn’t stand above us. However, increasingly society has begun to act in civil disobedience against the very powers that gave us the right to act that way in the first place. Today there are reports of rioters birthed by protesters that twist normative theory to suit their needs. For example, when it was once considered the right thing to do to avoid afflicting pain on others (an agreement that also falls within our society’s contractarianism) civil disobedience activists changed the right thing to do into “because I feel mistreated I will take what I believe is my right by force”.

People are fight to regain power when they already have all the power they need:
the right to life and the pursuit of happiness.

Let’s explain a bit more about civil disobedience activists. “For many disobedients, their breach of [contractualistic] law is demanded of them not only by self-respect and moral consistency but also by their perception of the interests of society” (Brownlee 2007). But, “Plato’s Socrates…maintains that he has an obligation to follow the laws of Athens since he has tacitly agreed to do so and he enjoys the rights and benefits of citizenship” (Brownlee 2007). So earlier we discussed ethics and how what is deemed good is relative. For our current protesters good is doing whatever necessary to obtain their objectives. If doing whatever necessary means that there could be casualties then that is the price that is required. However, that falls outside the contractual agreement our current society is under and goes against the idea of contractarianism in general. The original purpose of contractarianism was to create a society where self-interested individuals would not threaten the safety of others. So while one side is honoring the commitment the other is not.

Which brings us around to how important it is to have a PRSA that enforces its code of ethics. In a world where society will turn a blind eye against the transgressions of others, where one organization can willingly ignore an ethical standard that was once agreed to, where the moral law (which was intended to be held higher than the laws of society) is threatened, it is required, so that human beings can flourish, that individuals who transgress against one another be held liable. Perhaps not in the same manner as one is when they break the civil law, but in a way where one will understand what they are doing is wrong. For the exemplification is not limited to civil disobedience activists, but also exists in corporate and organizational society – where one party will ignore ethical judgement and take advantage over ethical or unknowing persons.  


The goal of the PR professional guide those who do not know where the line is.

So the idea of a PRSA that can enforce its code is ideal especially in a world where each individual retains a form of fear (fear of being deceived or fear for our safety or the safety of our loved ones) of individuals who will do whatever is necessary to meet their objectives. It is as if contrarianism doesn't exist in our contemporary society. However, if good is relative then what is wrong or bad remains just as difficult to define. So, we must reshape the PRSA's code of ethics. 

References

 Brownlee, K. (2007). Civil Disobedience. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/civil-disobedience/#FeaCivDis 

 F. (2013). Descriptive vs. Normative. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6C38QEJsCY 

 MacKinnon, B. (2013). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. 

Let's Begin: What is Public Relations?

              "Public relations is a strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics...Simple and straightforward, this definition focuses on the basic concept of public relations - as a communication process, one that is strategic in nature...." (1 PRSA 2016).

              From every dimension, from inquires on the outside looking in, individuals researching public relations trying to figure it out, to the inside, those of us who study the art itself, the aforementioned statement is ingrained and pushed into every recess of our memories. We are public relations practitioners and, truly, the ethical decision making in our field will rest in the hands of each of us individually. Simply put, we each run our own personal code of ethics concurrent to the guidelines provided by the Public Relations Society of America and it is our job to maintain the reputation of an organization.
             Where many see a valiant solution - ethical enforcers of morality standing between the public and the organization - there is also a problem:                        

 "Ethics - in essence what is 'good' - differ from legal issues 

- what society considers 'right.' There also are matters of 'absolute' ethics - what's good regardless of other variables - and 'situational' ethics which takes into account the many gray areas of the practice" (Wright 1989, p. 3).

             
                 Ideally, each of us understand what ethics should be, how important it is, and what is considered moral. We are then hired by organizations who have had PR practitioners create a code of ethics to present to their public and audience (in hopes of giving them a prevailing sense of what the company stands for). Often, however, PR practitioners are used when their "client's organization has been labeled 'unethical,'...[and then] the practitioner must try to convince the public otherwise" (Wright 1989, p. 3). Run that thought concurrent tot the many loopholes we can find in the PRSA's code of ethics, with the idea that a majority of ethics are situational, and while understanding that public relations is a strategic methodology to develop mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics and you will find an anomaly: the beneficial relationship shared between an organization and its publics is that of the public enjoying the product of the organization for a price/the organization enjoying a profit or its goals met (both of which isn't inherently terrible in itself but that it is the mutual beneficial relationship discussed). The public will communicate with an organization based on how much they trust the organization. PR practitioners exist to build that mutual trust. The more you communicate with your public, the more products you can push through to them - success.

            "Ethical practice is the most important obligation of a PRSA member...[however] emphasis on enforcement of the Code has been eliminated'' (2 PRSA 2016). Because the code of ethics cannot be enforced, which would be a challenge to do in the first place (due to the very fluid and relative nature of ethics in each individual) the guidelines are similar to that of the 'do not run sign' by public pools. Nobody is really there to stop everybody all the time, you have been trained in correct public pool participation, but if you run anyway, and slip and fall, it is your fault.

            The situation as it stands, holding true the aforementioned regarding the lack of enforcement from the PRSA, the idea that everyone is shaped ethically separate, and the fact that public relations is still a strategy based position, regards that the ideal PR practitioner is an individual who is tactically brilliant and is someone who, while ethical themselves and will do what is right in the eyes of the public, will be able to control the situation in a favorable way. "By selectively using only positive aspects of a program...practitioners can portray their clients in a favorable light. Conversely, the endeavors of an opponent may be selectively portrayed in the negative" (Hendrix & Hayes 2010). The idea focus on selectivity and strategy, that is what determines your value as practitioner. How well you research, you tactivity, and how you select what is right or wrong in every changing situation where sometimes the top is bottom or the bottom is top.

                                          References

 Hendrix, J. A., & Hayes, D. (2010). Public relations cases. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. 

 Lindstrom, L. (2012). What is ethics? cl. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAuv0HujFbc

 Lotan, Y. (2012). What is public relations by yael lotan. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmjxu5f_Bng 

 Mireles, A. (2015). PR Is Facing Challenges, But They're NOT Insurmountable! | Cision. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://www.cision.com/us/2014/11/pr-is-facing-challenges-but-theyre-not-insurmountable/

 

 PRSA 1. (n.d.). About Public Relations. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from https://www.prsa.org/aboutprsa/publicrelationsdefined/#.V98-BvArLIU

 PRSA 2. (n.d.). Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Member Code of Ethics. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from https://www.prsa.org/aboutprsa/ethics/codeenglish/#.V99F3fArLIU 

 Wright, D. K. (1989). Ethics research in public relations: An overview. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811189800499