Focusing on one historic episode per chapter, Ethics for Public Communication is divided into three parts, each dedicated to one of the three major functions of the media within democratic societies: news, persuasion, and entertainment. Authors Clifford Christians, Mark Fackler, and John Ferré, three trusted scholars in the field, discuss media ethics from a communicative perspective, setting the book apart from other texts in the market that simply combine journalism with libertarian theory. Classic media ethics cases, like the publication of Rachel Carson's 1962 book Silent Spring, are covered in tandem with such contemporary cases as the creation of Al-Jazeera English and the controversy surrounding Ice-T's protest song, "Cop Killer." FEATURES - A new "communitarian" approach to ethics that breaks from other texts in the discipline - A focus on classic and current cases that are culturally relevant today - A thorough and comprehensive grounding in the theory of media ethics - Longer and more universal case studies than those included in other texts, in order to provide more real-life, ethical dilemmas

"This is an intelligent book about serious issues in public relations: accountability, responsibility, transparency, loyalty, truthtelling, and fairness. It should be required reading in boardrooms, in PR classrooms, and at the Pentagon." - Jay Black, Editor, Journal of Mass Media Ethics "Ethics in Public Relations fills an important need at a time when the credibility of public relations (and some public relations practitioners and public relations firms) is under attack. In a manner that is never preachy or dogmatic, Fitzpatrick and Bronstein have put together a series of essays that have application across the public relations spectrum. They are sure to be informative and instructive both to long-time professionals and candidates for entry-level positions." - Harold Burson, Founding Chairman, Burson Marstellar "This book is both highly readable and long overdue. Fitzpatrick and Bronstein have produced a thoughtful, thorough, and very practical look at the ethical dimensions of public relations, not just in theory, but in everyday practice. The essays are sharp, witty, on-point and highly pragmatic. Their examples are relevant, their anecdotes purposeful. Given the state of the profession these days, it′s difficult to see how students of public relations could call themselves current without first reading this smart collection of essays." - James S. O′Rourke IV, Professor and Director, The Eugene D. Fanning Center for Business Communication, University of Notre Dame "Fitzpatrick and Bronstein have for every public relations professional established a foundation to practice advocacy ethically. Practice settings may change, but Fitzpatrick and Bronstein demonstrate that the individual professional has an ongoing ethical imperative to advocate responsibly. Fitzpatrick′s discussion of the PRSA Code of Ethics concept of advocacy (which she helped draft) breaks new and helpful ground, bringing clarity and substance to this crucial ingredient of most public relations practice." - James E. Lukaszewski, Chairman and President, The Lukaszewski Group Inc. Ethics in Public Relations: Responsible Advocacy is the first book to identify universal principles of responsible advocacy in public relations. In this engaging book, editors Kathy Fitzpatrick and Carolyn Bronstein bring together prominent authorities in the field to address theoretic and practical issues that illustrate the broad scope and complexity of responsible advocacy in 21st-century public relations. The collection explores such matters as the fragile line between ethical and legal public relations practices, ethical challenges in building relationships with increasingly diverse publics, the requirements of ethical advocacy online, ethical accountability in organizational settings, the special ethical obligations of nonprofit groups, and ethical mandates in cross-border public relations.

Ethical practice in any professional discipline is guided by age-old philosophical perspectives, but its modern parameters are continually evolving. Ongoing developments in technology, social media and social contexts mean that public relations and its practices in particular are constantly changing, and so are the ethical questions faced by practitioners in the field. Ethical questions and dilemmas are inherent to public relations, and ensuring that practitioners operate ethically is fundamental to both the professionalism and credibility of the field. Engaging and accessible, Ethics in Public Relations offers a lively exploration of the key ethical concerns present in the public relations world today by way of practical tips and guidance to support those in PR and corporate communications. It covers topics including the roles which lies, truth and honesty play; utilitarianism; practising respect and morality; authorship; conflicts of interest; PR and the corporate ethics programme; moonlighting; the impact of whistleblowing and more. Written by a leading academic in the field, this fully updated third edition of Ethics in Public Relations includes an entirely new chapter on the uses of ethics in social media, covering topical issues such as blogger engagement and the relationship between employee social media activity and organizational reputation.

This book is a pragmatic, case-rich guide to how current and future public relations practitioners can apply ethical principles and the industry’s codes of ethics to their day-to-day work. Authors Trevor Morris and Simon Goldsworthy draw on their years of industry and academic experience to illustrate key ethical issues and ground them in reality, all within an international frame of reference. Public Relations Ethics incorporates interviews with industry practitioners, offering contrasting perspectives as well as recent examples of real-life complaints and disciplinary issues. Provocative questions and exercises help readers grapple with ethical dilemmas and review the key scenarios and challenges that PR people face. The book is ideal at the undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education levels as a core text for public relations ethics courses and a supplementary text for general public relations survey courses. Accompanying the text are online resources for both students and instructors, including lecture slides and links to further resources.

On a daily basis, public relations practitioners are tasked with making ethical decisions, such as advising a client to fully disclose a corporate relationship or advocating for honesty when working with the media. A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations is designed for courses in contemporary studies of public relations and communications. This text highlights the delicate balance required to navigate the values and demands implicit to the field of public relations and those that underlie society as a whole. Students are encouraged to examine their own values and compare them to those commonly encountered in a professional setting. Brimming with case studies, practitioner advice, practical ethical dilemmas, and popular culture references, A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations is the ideal text for students grappling with the inevitable ethical dilemmas that arise in professional public relations.

This Handbook bridges explicit treatments of ethical issues in communication and implicit considerations of ethics, presenting in one volume analyses and applications that draw upon recognized ethical theories and those which engage important questions of power, equality, and justice. It is intended for scholars in communication, and will serve as a reference text in advanced courses addressing communication and ethics.

Americans should not just tolerate dissent. They should encourage it. In this provocative and wide-ranging book, Steven Shiffrin makes this case by arguing that dissent should be promoted because it lies at the heart of a core American value: free speech. He contends, however, that the country's major institutions--including the Supreme Court and the mass media--wrongly limit dissent. And he reflects on how society and the law should change to encourage nonconformity. Shiffrin is one of the country's leading first-amendment theorists. He advances his dissent-based theory of free speech with careful reference to its implications for such controversial topics of constitutional debate as flag burning, cigarette advertising, racist speech, and subsidizing the arts. He shows that a dissent-based approach would offer strong protection for free speech--he defends flag burning as a legitimate form of protest, for example--but argues that it would still allow for certain limitations on activities such as hate speech and commercial speech. Shiffrin adds that a dissent-based approach reveals weaknesses in the approaches to free speech taken by postmodernism, Republicanism, deliberative democratic theory, outsider jurisprudence, and liberal theory. Throughout the book, Shiffrin emphasizes the social functions of dissent: its role in combating injustice and its place in cultural struggles over the meanings of America. He argues, for example, that if we took a dissent-based approach to free speech seriously, we would no longer accept the unjust fact that public debate is dominated by the voices of the powerful and the wealthy. To ensure that more voices are heard, he argues, the country should take such steps as making defamation laws more hospitable to criticism of powerful people, loosening the grip of commercial interests on the media, and ensuring that young people are taught the importance of challenging injustice. Powerfully and clearly argued, Shiffrin's book is a major contribution to debate about one of the most important subjects in American public life.

For the introductory course in public relations, mass media, or in media ethics courses covering public relations, this supplementary guide is the only available book covering public relations ethics exclusively.

Political Communication Ethics: Theory and Practice brings together scholars and practitioners to introduce students to what, if any, ethical responsibilities political professionals have. Chapter authors range from a top Republican lobbyist to an Obama appointee, from leading academics to top digital strategists, and more. As a collection of diverse perspectives covering speechwriting and political communication, advocacy, political campaigns, online politics, and American civil religion, this book serves as an essential resource for students and scholars across many disciplines.

This book presents the first comprehensive set of principles for an ethics of science communication. We all want to communicate science ethically, but how do we do so? What does being ethical when communicating science even mean? The authors argue that ethical reasoning is essential training for science communicators. The book provides an overview of the relationship between values, science, and communication. Ethical problems are examined to consider how to create an ethics of science communication. These issues range from the timing of communication, narratives, accuracy and persuasion, to funding and the client-public tension. The book offers a tailor-made ethics of science communication based on principlism. Case studies are used to demonstrate how this tailor-made ethics can be applied in practice.