The Importance of Ethics in Public Relations

Public relations has the ability to change the perception and behaviors of its audience. 

There’s power in public relations.

Being master storytellers and perception managers makes ethics in PR one of, if not the most important, practices in the industry. Ethics in PR are defined “as a set of a priori principles, beliefs, and values that should be followed by all who engage in public relations practice” according to the Commission of Public Relations Education.

They drive every decision and action for every person based on a society or business’s view of good and bad, according to PR News. The ranking of moral principles is how people and entities make decisions and value their ideals. 

Types of Ethical Perspectives

The sixth edition of Strategic Planning for Public Relations details the three types of ethics in the public relations industry: deontological, teleological, and situational ethics.

Deontological Ethics

Deontological ethics perceives that all decision-making should come from the idea of duty and obligation. It’s the belief that there is a line between good and bad, no gray area. Deontological ethics places fairness and accuracy based on rules as the most important factor in ethics.

Teleological Ethics

The teleological ethics approach focuses on the result of an action or behavior and how it affects people. The question that is most asked with this perspective is “What actions will result in the greatest good for the most people”? Teleological ethics puts an emphasis on public interest and asks decision-makers to think about the consequences of their actions pertaining to themselves and others.

Situational Ethics

Situational ethics brings a new perspective altogether. This approach takes every situation and measures it through the lens of societal norms. This could be considered the most lenient of the three types of ethics because it takes into account values from different cultures in different scenarios. 

Most businesses and people jump between all three styles of ethics, but all are crucial to decision-making.