Download Public Relations Ethics - University of Zululand

Public Relations Ethics
Lectures in the course:
MS NKOHLA AND MR MAPHANGA
Important questions we need
to answer
 1) What are public relations?
 2) What is ethics?
1) Public relations
 Public= refers to people in community or
society
 Society includes; consumers, buyers, sellers,
competitors, shareholders, businesses,
government, producers etc.
 All these groups of people called
stakeholders.
 Stakeholders- directly or indirectly affected
by the actions of company
 Relations = connections : verbal or non
verbal,
 From public relations view,
relation/connection between company and
stakeholders
 This means communication important
foundation for Public relations.
 Will look at communication theory,
Communication theory refers to the
transferring of information from one person
to another , or group of people to another
group of people.
 Butterick refers to the transfer of information
from the sender to the receiver.
 Harlow also gives definition that relates to
communication,
 Mentions “establish mutual lines of
communication”
 Further say public relations uses good
communication as its “principal tools”.
 Grunig and Hunt state public relations is the
“management of communication between an
organisation and its publics”
 Communication is important aspect of public
relations, captures following keywords
according to Wilcox and Cameron (2012:8) :
 Deliberate- communication for purpose,
such as providing information
 Planned- PR is well thought out, research
done, problems solved
 Performance- in order for PR to be effective,
needs policies cater to public needs.
 Public interest-PR should consider the needs of
both parties involved. E.g: organisation and
public
 Two way communication-involves giver of
information and receiver of information
 receiver must be given place to engage with
information they receive.
 Management function- top management needs
to play role in managing conflict, managing
relations that corporation has with public etc.