University Of Cape Coast
College Of Humanities And
Legal Studies
School Of Business
Department Of Management
PUBLIC RELATIONS
MRS. JOAN ARK-AGYAPONG MANU
Chapter Three
Ethical And Legal Issues In Public
Relations
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lecture, student`s should be
able to:

Understand the Stereotypes and
misconceptions towards Public Relations

Discuss the legal and ethical issues in public
relations practice

Develop an awareness of the fundamental
principles guarding the practice of public
relations
Stereotypes and Flattering Terms

Sex and the City, - “Samantha Jones as a PR
agent -PR is a way to meet men

ABC’s Spin City,- Michael J. Fox as the deputy
mayor of New York –protect his awkward boss
from the media and public

Phone Booth and The Devil Wears Pradaportrayals sleazy publicists who have virtually
no personal or professional morality
Stereotypes and Flattering
Terms

Other negative stereotypes are
perpetuated by journalists who use terms
such as “PR gimmick- trick

The art of saying nothing

Spin
Spin

President Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign.

Related to the unethical and misleading campaign
activities and tactics.

A form of propaganda achieved through providing
a biased interpretation of an event to in order to
persuade public opinion in favour or against some
organisation or public figure- Donald Trump
campaign
Misconceptions of Public Relations
 Protocol:
good public relations is about
protocol or the proper procedure of
conducting official ceremonies.

 Fine
Appearance: PR equated to fine
appearance, an attractive face or
glamorous front.
 Free
Gifts-. begin and end with gifts.
Misconceptions of Public Relations

Annual Parties- PR not limited to annual parties alone

Public relations is not about employing pretty ladies to
woo men into acting against their wishes.
Ethical and legal
Issues in Public
Relations
Public Relations Law and
Regulations

The field of public relations comes under the purview of
legal regulations

Such laws include defamation (libel and slander),
copyright, and trademarks, and privacy

Public relations laws can be categorized into two broad
segments.
Public Relations Law and Regulations

Law of Tort which consists of civil laws for which there
are remedies for breach and law of contract which
regulates the relationship between a practitioner and
his/her client.
Ethical Issues in PR
Ethics is concerned right or wrong, or good or
bad human behaviour
 The PRSA (Public Relations Society of America)
code of professional standards for the practice
of PR to meet three goals:
 To provide behavioural guidelines to its
members
 To educate management on public
relations standards
 To distinguish public relations professionals
from those individuals who use the title but
are perceived as giving the profession a
bad name

Josephson Institute - Universal Ethics
Honesty
Integrity
 Promise-keeping
 Fidelity
 Fairness

Josephson Institute - Universal Ethics
 Caring

for others
Respect for others
 Responsible
citizenship
 Accountability
 Pursuit
of Excellence
Foundational Principles

10 PR principles that should remain true and
adhered to by PR professionals all over the
world.
 These
principles are based on the idea that
the purpose of public relations is to “identify,
establish, and maintain mutually beneficial
relationships between an organization and
its various publics”
Foundational Principles
 Principle
#1 – Organizations exist only by
public consent.
 Principle
#2- Mutually beneficial
relationships require two-way
communication (monologue to
dialogue)
Foundational Principles
 Principle
#3 – It’s not our job to put a
clean shirt on a dirty body.
 Principle
 Principle
#4 – Act, then communicate.
#5 – Clarity is more important
than cleverness.
Foundational Principles
 Principle
#6 – Activity does not equal
results (PR Accountability)
 Principle
#7 – Never refuse an
opportunity to tell your side of the
story.
Foundational Principles
 Principle
#8 – Manage expectations.
 Principle
#9 – Practice public relations
proactively, whenever possible (planned,
intentional, and controlled)
 Principle
#10 – Be a bridge, not a barrier.
THANK YOU