A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations

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.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Teresa N. Dougherty, APR Preface Part I – Ethics in Public Relations Chapter 1 – Why Ethics Matter Chapter 2 – Ethics in Public Relations Part II – Public Relations Society of America’s Code of Ethics Chapter 3 – Advocacy Chapter 4 – Honesty Chapter 5 – Expertise Chapter 6 – Independence Chapter 7 – Loyalty Chapter 8 – Fairness Chapter 9 – Ethics Matter, Choose Action Part III – Award Winning Case Studies from the Arthur W. Page Society Case Study Competition Case Study 1 – Walking the “Encryption Tightrope”: Getting to the Core of Apple’s Privacy and Security Battle with the FBI Case Study 2 – Fatal Derailment: Is Amtrak’s Reputation Riding on its Response to the Wreck of Train 188? Case Study 3 – An Analysis of Starbucks’ Race Together Initiative Case Study 4 – The Virtue of Patients: Veterans’ Fatal Wait Case Study 5 – #SocialStrong: The Effect of Social Media on the Boston Marathon Bombing

About the Author :
Regina Luttrell is assistant professor of social media and public relations at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. She spent the first half of her career managing high-level public relations and marketing activities for Fortune 500 companies, governmental entities, and non-profit organizations. She is the author or coauthor of multiple books, including: Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect, The Millennial Mindset: Unraveling Fact from Fiction, Brew Your Business: The Ultimate Craft Beer Playbook, Public Relations Campaigns: An Integrated Approach,and The PR Agency Handbook. Jamie Ward is assistant professor of public relations at Eastern Michigan University. Her extensive background includes more than a decade working to help nonprofit organizations advance their causes through strategic development, branding, and storytelling for advocacy and engagement. Ward is author of Veteran Friendships across Lifetimes: Brothers and Sisters in Arms.

Review :
A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations is a must-read-and absorb resource for public relations professionals at any level in any type of organization. Both professionals and educators (and their students!) will appreciate the straightforward discussion style of presentation along with the clearly relevant, easily understood examples of ethical challenges that public relations professionals are very likely to encounter in the course of their careers.... A welcome addition to the ever-expanding library of books focusing on the ethical aspects of organizational thought and action, A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations should sit prominently on every public relations professional’s bookshelf to be seen by clients, employers, and coworkers alike. [The] authors were successful in detailing the application of ethics within the professional field with a focus on a specific Code of Ethics. The authors were purposeful in demonstrating the application of the PURE model of ethical decision making. A major strength of the book is the diversity of both ethical dilemmas and award-wining case studies. Thus, the book would serve as an excellent choice for advanced public relations courses or the standalone public relations ethics course. For those who make the effort to read the volume carefully, not only will their understanding of ethically questionable conduct in the workplace and organizational life generally be enhanced, but so too will their prospects for minimizing its intrusiveness and successfully addressing it when it manifests. . . . In addition to individuals studying public relations or who already are working in the profession, others simply interested in communication, ethics, or some combination of the two and how they can affect decision making in a variety of realms will find what the authors have to say illuminating. This is a rich text designed to help students understand the dynamics of what happens in the industry. It gives the reader a true ability to conceptualize ethical issues from the deep past up to today. The book presents useful diagrams, social media screenshots, and current examples that make the subject new for students. The interviews, case studies, and exercises are all helpful for both students and teachers. In A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations, Regina Luttrell and Jamie Ward deliver to their audience a vibrant and measured treatment of the hallmarks of ethical practice. The almost real-time nature of the cases in this text illuminate for students the foundational theories that distinguish the discipline. The contribution here serves those learning the discipline and better yet, those landing their first jobs in the profession. This book offers readers a tangible guide to ethics within the field of public relations, providing the reader with real world examples of ethical dilemmas. You will be asked to work through a problem of messaging and decide for yourself how to get that message across while remaining true to your beliefs and values. Regina Luttrell and Jamie Ward guide readers toward a more in-depth understanding of the industry standards. Their expertise in communications shines through as you as you begin to explore your power and responsibility to educate and advise your clients.