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PUBLIC RELATIONS
ADM 305
LECTURE 3
ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES IN
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Dr Andrews Agya Yalley
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this lecture, student`s should be able
to:
Understand the Stereotypes and misconceptions
towards Public Relations
Discuss the legal and ethical issues in public
relations practice
Develop an awareness of the fundamental
principles guarding the practice of public relations
STEREOTYPES AND FLATTERING
TERMS
Sex and the City, - “Samantha Jones as a PR agent -PR is
a way to meet men
ABC’s Spin City,- Michael J. Fox as the deputy mayor of
New York –protect his awkward boss from the media and
public
Phone Booth and The Devil Wears Prada- portrayals
sleazy publicists who have virtually no personal or
professional morality
STEREOTYPES AND FLATTERING
TERMS
Other negative stereotypes are perpetuated
by journalists who use terms such as “PR
gimmick- trick
The art of saying nothing
Spin
SPIN
President Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign.
Related to the unethical and misleading campaign
activities and tactics.
A form of propaganda achieved through providing a
biased interpretation of an event to in order to
persuade public opinion in favour or against some
organisation or public figure- Donald Trump campaign
MISCONCEPTIONS OF PUBLIC
RELATIONS
Protocol: good public relations is about protocol or
the proper procedure of conducting official
ceremonies.
Fine Appearance: PR equated to fine appearance, an
attractive face or glamorous front.
Free Gifts-. begin and end with gifts.
Annual Parties- PR not limited to annual paties
alone
Public relations is not about employing pretty
ladies to woo men into acting against their wishes.
Ethical and legal
Issues in Public
Relations
PUBLIC RELATIONS LAW AND
REGULATIONS
The field of public relations comes under the purview of
legal regulations
Such laws include defamation (libel and slander), copyright,
and trademarks, and privacy
Public relations laws can be categorized into two broad
segments.
Law of Tort which consists of civil laws for which there
are remedies for breach and law of contract which
regulates the relationship between a practitioner and
his/her client.
ETHICAL ISSUES IN PR
Ethics is concerned right or wrong, or good or bad
human behaviour
The PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) code of
professional standards for the practice of PR to meet
three goals:
To provide behavioral guidelines to its members
To educate management on public relations standards
To distinguish public relations professionals from those
individuals who use the title but are perceived as
giving the profession a bad name
JOSEPHSON INSTITUTE UNIVERSAL ETHICS
Honesty
 Integrity
 Promise-keeping
 Fidelity
 Fairness
JOSEPHSON INSTITUTE UNIVERSAL ETHICS
Caring for others
 Respect for others
Responsible citizenship
Accountability
Pursuit of Excellence
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

10 PR principles that should remain true and
adhered to by PR professionals all over the world.
These principles are based on the idea that the
purpose of public relations is to “identify, establish,
and maintain mutually beneficial relationships
between an organization and its various publics”
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
Principle #1 – Organizations exist
only by public consent.
Principle #2- Mutually beneficial
relationships require two-way
communication (monologue to
dialogue)
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
Principle #3 – It’s not our job to put a
clean shirt on a dirty body.
Principle #4 – Act, then communicate.
Principle #5 – Clarity is more
important than cleverness.
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
Principle #6 – Activity does not
equal results (PR Accountability)
Principle #7 – Never refuse an
opportunity to tell your side of the
story.
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
Principle #8 – Manage expectations.
Principle #9 – Practice public relations
proactively, whenever possible (planned,
intentional, and controlled)
Principle #10 – Be a bridge, not a
barrier.