Public Relations and Communications

3 Ethics

DOI: 10.4324/9781003253815-3

Chapter Contents

1. 3.1 Learning Outcomes
2. 3.2 Introduction
3. 3.3 Ethical Theories
4. 3.3.1 Utilitarianism
5. 3.3.2 Deontology
6. 3.4 Professional Codes of Conduct
7. 3.5 For Discussion
8. References

3.1 Learning Outcomes

On finishing this chapter, the reader should be able to:

• Understand the ethical issues and theories at play in public relations (PR).
• Understand the responsibilities that PR professionals have to the enivornment and society.
• Apply ethical theory to the practice of PR.

3.2 Introduction

In her book on Ethics in Public Relations, Prof Patricia J Parsons defines ethics in the context of PR as ‘the application of knowledge, understanding and reasoning to questions of right or wrong behaviour in the professional ...