Legal, Moral and Ethical Communication

According to a survey of public relations practitioners, Many public relations professionals may be placing themselves and their client organizations at risk of legal liability because they have little or no familiarity with important legal issues that affect public relations activities(Fitzpatrick, 1996, Pg1). I agree with Fitzpatrick, that a PR practitioner would be able to strengthen his standpoint if he is well versed with all legal and moral issues before he steps up and represents his organization. He should be able to fully understand the repercussions of foreseeing particular legal fine print so as to save his organization from landing in a soup. However, in a world where there are conflicting morals and diverse outlooks, it is difficult to standardize a framework of universal ethics that would encompass the interests of everyone. Disagreement on fundamental issues exists even in seemingly peaceful harmonious societies (Marlin, 2007, Pg137). Marlin goes on to explain that whatever theoretical scepticism may exist, there is still the necessity to work out rules for living together in society. And thus today we have a code of 'Professional ethics' and 'Principles' which are basically, actions that are consistent with moral values generally accepted as norms in a society or culture. PR practitioners are expected to work within the framework of these norms and undertake the commitment of 'serving society'. Legal issues, on the other hand, are constant roadblocks for a Public Relations practitioner; it could be the awareness of the consequences of invasion of privacy and defamation (libel or slander). Public relations practitioners have to consider that nearly every press release, news article or advertisement holds the potential for a libel suit (Moore, Farrar, and Collins, Pg189). These reasons saw the birth of the PRSA Public Relations Society of America which was formed in 1948, with the aim to create a code of ethics so that managers all around would have a clear understanding of the PR guidelines and would have to adhere to them.

References: 1) Dan, Lattimore, Baskin Otis, Heiman Suzette T, and Toth Elizabeth L. Public Relations - The Profession and the Practice. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2008. 62-84. Print. 2) Scott M, Cutlip, et al. Effective Public Relations. 8th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. , 2000. 143-211. Print. 3) Randal , Marlin. Propaganda & the ethics of persuasion. 1st Ed. Ontario: Broadview Press, Ltd. , 2002. 137-138. Print. 4) Kathy R.Fitzpatrick, Public Relations and the Law: A Survey of Practitioners, Public Relations Review 22, no.1, 1996. Print. 5) Roy L.Moore, Ronald T.Farrar, and Erik L.Collins, Advertising and the Law. Mahwah, New Jersey: Erlbaum, 1998. Print.