Public Relations, 4th Edition

14Law for public relations professionals

Mark Pearson

In this chapter

1. Introduction
2. The law and public relations
3. Basic legal concepts
4. Key areas of public relations law
5. Guidelines
6. Conclusion

Introduction

Public relations can involve a host of tasks and interactions with other people and organisations—many carrying an element of legal risk. It is impossible to work in public relations without legal exposure; the challenge is to recognise risks and minimise them by knowing when to seek legal advice and when to take out professional indemnity insurance to cover potential liability.

There are few laws in Australia applying exclusively to public relations practitioners. It is a self-regulated industry, through organisations like the Public Relations ...