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LO 3-14

End of chapter quiz

Text:

Study Questions

1. What factors outside the control of an organization affect ethical decision making within the organization?

2. Discuss the assumption that what is good for a special interest group dedicated to serving the public good is necessarily good for society.

3. What is the difference between effective public relations research and industrial

espionage?

4. What are five characteristics of professions? According to these criteria, does the public relations practice qualify as a profession?

5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of state licensing of public relations

practitioners.

6. Describe what you consider to be the most important sets of ethical principles espoused by public relations professional associations at each of the following levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, organization, external publics, public policies and laws, and cultural values and beliefs.

7. Do you consider yourself to be a professional? Why? Be as specific as you can

8. True or false: Truth is the best defense in cases alleging invasion of privacy. Discuss your answer and give an example.

9. How are public relations practitioners involved in cultural issues? Give several examples.

10. Discuss three different ways by which public relations practitioners can resolve ethical dilemmas.

LO 3-15

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Title: Small group exercise: analyzing ethical problems, situations and dilemmas in strategic public relations and integrated communications

Explanation: classroom exercise.

Text:

SMALL GROUP EXERCISE: ANALYZING ETHICAL

DILEMMAS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Participants in this exercise will learn the following:

• Thinking through ethical dilemmas before they occur is an excellent way to prepare for tough, on-the-job decisions.

• Recognizing consistent sets of values, principles, and loyalties that lead to ethical decisions helps to clarify how and why good decisions are made.

• Talking about ethical dilemmas helps. Innovative ethical solutions can be found whenever good people come together and put their minds to it.

Here is an example of how to analyze an ethical dilemma:

1. Someone should read aloud the description of the ethical dilemmas. For example,

While preparing the annual report for a publicly traded international company, the newest member of the public relations department learns about significant new developments in the company that most likely will send the company’s stock price soaring. Told this information is not to be disclosed until after a public announcement is made, the public relations person is tempted to share this information immediately with a close relative who actively trades in the stock market.

2. Spend one third of the allotted time answering this question: What are conflicting sets of values, principles, and loyalties this person might experience that would 1) lead to making an unethical decision; and, 2) lead to making an ethical decision?

Share the following definitions with members of the group:

• Values can be expressed as adjectives or short phrases that describe how a person feels or wants to feel about something.

• Principles can be expressed as complete sentences and are rules of thumb—guidelines for determining what’s right and wrong.

• Loyalties are allegiances that can be expressed toward individuals (including self) and groups of people.

For the above example, here are some values, principles, and loyalties that most likely would lead to an unethical decision:

Values: To be selfish; to be venal; to be an important member of the extended family, especially to one particular relative.

Principles: You must take chances to get ahead. Blood is thicker than water. The Securities and Exchange Commission is not interested in catching small fish.

Loyalties: To members of the family; to the self; to peers living rich and exciting lives.

Here are some values, principles, and loyalties that most likely would lead to an ethical decision:

Values: To be a competent professional; to be a good employee; to be honest.

Principles: Professional communicators obey the law. Do not use confidential information gained as a result of professional activities for personal benefit. The Securities and Exchange Commission monitors all trades and can correlate trades with announcements of material information that have a significant impact on the trading of a particular stock.

Loyalties: To the company; to the long-term professional career of the individual; to the individual’s personal integrity.

3. Then spend one third of the allotted time answering these questions:

   1. Who are the moral agents?

   2. What is morally permitted?

   3. What is morally prohibited?

   4. Who might be most blameworthy--and is the person likely to seek forgiveness?

   5. Who might be in a position to seek forgiveness--and under what conditions?

   6. What would the Ideal Virtuous Public Relations Professional do in this situation?

4. Someone in each small group should be designated the reporter and be prepared not to summarize the group’s discussion but to relay to the larger group what the reporter considered to be the best insights gained by this exercise.

Ethical Situations, Problems and Dilemmas:

1. Administrators of a well-respected hospital were dutifully following federal guidelines for reporting incidents of a contaminated blood supply when a senior executive recognized a pattern of unusual incidents over a short period of time. They quickly acted to correct procedures so that similar incidents did not occur. During a senior management meeting reviewing the changed procedures, someone asked what would happen if local media found out somehow from public records at the federal agency that the hospital had reported a series of incidents involving contaminated blood being given to patients. The hospital’s senior administrator asked the public relations director for advice. Yes, federal requirements for reporting the incidents had been met, but what about the public? Did they need to be informed directly by the hospital?

2. The city’s housing authority, responsible for thousands of low-income family apartments, many in poor repair, was finally able to use a major grant to demolish and rebuild many of the housing units. While many good things were happening, some problems remained in the city’s housing projects—and the local media reported primarily on what was not working. The public affairs officer for the housing authority was frustrated. He distributed press releases with accurate descriptions of what was happening in city housing—both the good and the bad news—and regularly conducted press tours of the housing projects so that the media could show the work in progress. Still, coverage was consistently negative. He was convinced that the city’s only daily newspaper was biased and that despite receiving lots of accurate, positive information, the paper constantly was “taking cheap shots” at public housing.

3. With the fall of communism, civic and economic leaders in the formerly highly controlled society were faced with a major challenge: to gain public support for privatization—the transfer of public property (especially industrial organizations) to private ownership. Information specialists who had been working for organizations in the centralized economy had been trained for years in fairly sophisticated, yet heavy-handed, propaganda techniques. However, they were not used to engaging in communication campaigns likely to generate free-wheeling public debates in a marketplace of ideas, with opposition groups and media able to present criticisms and different points of view. During this period of transition to a free market economy, a public information specialist working for a defense-related firm was asked to help develop a campaign for his organization. It should help to persuade local citizens and foreign investors to support the government’s effort to privatize the firm.

4. Over the past few years, an ocean resort community was becoming the “in” spot for black college students in the region. Just before they had to return to their campuses for the fall semester, thousands of students would spend the weekend in this town, celebrating and having their last fling of the summer. Initially the town’s civic and business leaders welcomed the tourist dollars the students brought with them. Each year, though, the gathering became more unruly. Last year, some students rioted when police restricted them to one part of town. The mayor’s office then hired an internationally recognized public relations agency to work with community and student leaders to develop a comprehensive plan for this year’s event. In putting together the plan, numerous public forums were held. For the final forum, black student leaders, with support from the public relations agency, invited a highly controversial, nationally known, black religious leader to speak. Because the speaker was considered anti-Semitic and racist by some, the mayor called the public relations agency and demanded that the controversial speaker be “dis-invited.” Otherwise, she said, the city’s contract with the public relations agency would be terminated.

5. The small, financially weak public relations firm was hired as a subcontractor to conduct a series of focus groups for a regionally powerful advertising and public relations agency whose client, The Committee for a Bright Future, was engaged in a multimedia public communication campaign designed to bring new businesses to the area. The owner of the firm was asked to bid on conducting a series of focus groups designed to pretest campaign strategies and media messages. The researcher asked for the identity of the client behind the front organization. He was told the name of a real estate developer with known connections to organized crime and numerous housing development scandals.

6. After helping the multinational corporation establish its Web site on the Internet, the public relations department became known as in-house specialists in managing the company’s Web-based communications. Among other public relations activities, they conducted media relations, distributed stockholder and vendor-related information, and gathered information for executive speeches. Members of senior management asked the department to conduct a series of workshops on business Web-based communication, especially Internet searches, for all managers in the organization. At one of these workshops, a manager asked if citations or attribution needed to be made for material copied from Internet sources. The questioner said he didn’t think he had to, “because nobody wants to enforce copyright laws in cyberspace.”

7. At its regular Friday staff meeting, the members of the public relations department would bring copies of articles they had read or items they had downloaded from the Internet that week that might be of interest to others in the organization. After the staff discussed them and identified the best of the most recent articles, the task of the public relations assistant that day was to scan the articles into the word processing system and produce a set of readings for distribution “first thing Monday to all managers and above.” The assistant wrote full citation for each reproduced article, but she did not attempt to solicit permission to reprint the copyright owners of the original material. The head of the public relations department assured her that the limited distribution of the material constituted “fair use” of copyrighted materials.

8. Environmental regulations required the nuclear-powered electric utility company to regularly report a range of information to the public, including plans for transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes. During a period when the company was negotiating a new contract with firms that specialize in hazardous waste removal, a representative of Greenpeace wrote to the chief executive officer asking for the dates and times for the transportation of hazardous wastes from the company in the next few months. The executive passed the request to the vice president of corporate communications, who asked the manager of executive correspondence to respond to the letter. As a member of the public relations department, head of correspondence knew that Greenpeace was planning a series of demonstrations in the region in the next few months and that the activist organization had targeted the electric utility in its campaign.

9. A relatively small “boutique” public relations agency specializing in coordinating regional events, meetings, and conferences accepted a contract from an international tobacco company. The agency was to coordinate publicity for an exhibit of quality reproductions of historical documents relating to freedom of speech. The tobacco company had arranged for the exhibit, on a nationwide tour, to be displayed in the city’s museum over the next four months. During this same four-month period, a national association of health care professionals was conducting an anti-smoking campaign targeted to teenagers. It asked the agency to bid on a contract to publicize and coordinate a citywide battle of the bands which the health association was sponsoring among local high schools and colleges.

10. With new press freedoms and money-making opportunities in the emerging market economies of Eastern Europe, the number of newspapers increased dramatically during the 1990s. However, the competition among the proliferating newspapers for the relatively small amounts of advertising budgets also increased dramatically. In this environment, some newspapers would not publish information from press releases unless money was paid—either aboveboard, as a billable advertising expense, or, most often, under the table, as a bribe to a reporter or editor. Some newspapers had policies prohibiting reporters accepting payments or gifts from news sources; most did not. During these uncertain but exciting times, a newly established public relations agency in the region won a contract with a multinational chain of five-star hotels to conduct a public relations campaign for a new hotel. A world-class extravaganza was planned for the hotel’s grand opening.

11. A trade association in the construction industry was concerned about proposed new building codes and fee assessments being considered by the legislature. These could impact significantly on the profit margins of independent building contractors. The association asked a public relations agency with a registered statehouse lobbyist to bid on conducting a campaign to make the proposed legislation favorably affect the construction industry. The agency’s proposal included the following deliverables: research reports, position papers, press kits, radio commercials, newspaper ads, and distribution of persuasive materials to all members of the state legislature who served on the committees reviewing the legislation, and personal presentations of the material to key committee members. When the head of the trade association reviewed the proposal, he insisted that full payment of the agency’s fee would be contingent on either defeat of the proposed legislation or on the passage of acceptable legislation.

12. Adopted when he was six weeks old himself and now the biological parent of a ten-year-old boy and the proud adoptive parent of a five-year-old girl, an account executive is a crisis communication specialist for a global public relations firm. He was not surprised when he learned that the partners of the firm, without consulting him, had signed a contract with one of the nation’s largest chain of abortion clinics. The firm had several controversial clients. He was surprised, though, when he was called to the senior partner’s office and told that he had to work on the new account. According to the senior partner, the firm was committed to launching a successful, multimillion dollar, nationwide campaign about pro-choice issues—and it was vital to the success of the campaign that he work on the account. This would provide the client with expertise about managing communication during the campaign, should a crisis occur.

LO 3-16

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

Additional case 3.4: When a local Catholic church wants to support a pro-life political candidate.

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.4

When a Local Catholic Church Wants to Support

a Pro-Life Political Candidate

The problem:

The leaders of a local Catholic church wanted to help pay for and help run a political advertising and public relations campaign for a particular candidate they liked—and who also happened to be a member of the church. To do so might have jeopardized the church’s tax-free nonprofit status with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

What was the situation?

A local Catholic church had a pro-life state senator as a parishioner. The senator was up for reelection and was being seriously challenged by a pro-choice advocate. The abortion question promised to be one of the major issues in the election. However, as a nonprofit tax-exempt organization, the church could not directly support political candidates. The volunteer church leaders wanted to support actively their fellow parishioner, who was also the only pro-life candidate in the race. The duties of public relations for the church are handled by one of the priests who, prior to entering the priesthood, worked as a reporter. The lay leaders turned to this priest for advice.

What were the values?

The following values were important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner (the priest) in this case.

To be supportive of others who share your beliefs.

To keep the church’s tax-exempt status.

To be faithful to the church’s teachings and beliefs.

To be law abiding.

To get the pro-life candidate elected.

What were the principles?

The following principles were important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner (the priest) in this case.

Life begins at conception; life is precious.

The church’s teachings are dogma and should be followed.

The church should be involved in setting social agenda, not necessarily politics, but issues management.

There is a domino effect in issues management: if you set the social agenda, the political agenda is sure to follow.

There are absolute truths; it’s not all relative.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties were important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner (the priest) in this case.

To the parishioner/candidate.

To the local church parishioners.

To the archbishop and, through him, the pope.

To the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

To the community at large.

What actually happened?

The priest set up a meeting with the lay leaders, the archbishop of the diocese, and other top church leaders, to discuss how to deal with the upcoming election. The archbishop said the Catholic Church would have to follow its own teachings as well as the laws set out for nonprofit tax-exempt organizations. He said that the church could not outwardly support any one political candidate without giving equal support to the other candidates, and that the church did not want to give even tacit support to any of the other candidates. However, he said, the church could support issues, urging all voters to give serious consideration to the church’s point of view. They decided to hire a public relations agency to run a pro-life, issue-oriented campaign during the election period.

LO 3-16

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

CASE 3.5

Balancing Customer Confidentiality with the Public’s Right

to Know and the Organization’s Best Interests

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.5

Balancing Customer Confidentiality with the Public’s Right

to Know and the Organization’s Best Interests

The problem:

The reporter from the local TV station’s consumer affairs department called to ask why the organization had refused service to an apparently deserving customer. But responding to the media inquiry could have jeopardized that customer’s confidentiality—and made an awkward situation appear even worse.

What was the situation?

The father of a ten-year-old boy dying of cancer had a family policy with an insurance company that covered the cost of standard but not experimental treatments. The company offered many other health plan options, but the father was not enrolled in any of these other plans. The boy’s doctor, after discussions with the insurance company, told the family that the treatment would be covered by its insurance company. With the family’s consent, the doctor performed experimental bone marrow transplants. When the insurance company refused to pay for the experimental treatment, the father contacted the local TV station. The TV reporter asked for an on-camera interview, indicating that the feature story would be aired the next day. The publicly owned insurance company had an established policy against discussing specific customer accounts with the media unless there was written authorization from the customer.

What were the values?

The following values have been identified as being important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner in this case.

To do a good job.

To be fair.

To be law abiding.

To be forthcoming and timely with the media.

To make a profit.

What were the principles?

The following principles have been identified as being important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner in this case.

Do no harm.

Obey the law.

The customer is always right.

The end justifies the means.

The squeaky wheels get oiled.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties have been identified as being important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner in this case.

To the company.

To the policy holder.

To the media.

To potential customers.

To current customers.

What actually happened?

The director of public relations for the insurance company told the reporter that she would get back to him within the hour. She contacted the head of the in-house medical review committee to ask that this case be reviewed as soon as possible to make sure the claim had been processed properly. She called the boy’s father, expressed sympathy, and asked that the father give written permission for the company to discuss the case with the media. The father agreed, and a copy of the agreement was hand-delivered to the father and returned to the company that afternoon. The head of the in-house review team was scheduled to review the case, but indicated to the public relations director that it would take time. It could not be completed until much later that afternoon. The director of public relations called the reporter and said that a decision about the on-camera interview would be made before ten o’clock the next morning. She would call to inform him of the decision. She wrote a one-page memo to the CEO alerting him to the situation. Her memo outlined four options: reaffirm the initial decision to deny coverage and refuse the on-camera interview; reaffirm the initial decision and conduct the on-camera interview; alter the initial decision and conduct the on-camera interview; and alter the decision and decline the on-camera interview. She recommended that no decision be made until the in-house review committee completed its investigation. The CEO asked that the head of the review committee and the director of public relations meet when the investigation was completed. At this meeting, the CEO decided to reverse the initial decision and conduct the on-camera interview. The three agreed that the following points should be made during the interview: (1) the company was concerned not only about the welfare of the young boy, but also about the fair treatment of their customer; (2) there was some confusion and misunderstanding between the doctor and the insurance company; therefore, (3) the initial decision would be reversed and the boy’s treatment would be covered; furthermore, (4) additional efforts would be made by the company now and in the future to explain to their customers, and specifically to doctors, what options are covered and what options are not covered by the company’s health care plans. Concerned customers and doctors were encouraged to call a special 800 number with any immediate questions.

LO 3-17

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

CASE 3.6

When a Vendor Fires a Popular Employee

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.6

When a Vendor Fires a Popular Employee

The problem:

Two separate companies—a large corporation and a small coffee shop—had separate rental agreements in one building. The ethical problem occurred when corporate employees became upset about the operation of the coffee shop; yet, legally, they had no right to tell the shop owner how to run his business.

What was the situation?

A major company had a separate rental agreement with the owners of the building in which their corporate headquarters was located. The proprietor of the small coffee shop located inside the corporate headquarters also had a separate rental agreement. The coffee shop owner dismissed a popular short-order cook and eliminated a favorite concession—freshly made donuts. This was done despite informal advice from both the director of corporate personnel and the manager of public relations, who daily came into the shop and often discussed business matters with the owner. The popular employee had been working at the shop for the past fifteen years and was a few years from retirement. The customers of the coffee shop—95 percent of them corporate employees—staged impromptu demonstrations in the lobby of the building, put up banners, and distributed leaflets protesting the changes.

What were the values?

The following values have been identified as being important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner in this case.

To be loyal to old friends.

To make everyone happy.

To be fair.

To be persistent in working for a just conclusion.

To be helpful.

What were the principles?

The following principles have been identified as being important from the point of view of the public relations practitioner in this case.

The heavy-handed version of the Golden Rule: he who has all the gold gets to rule.

The traditional version of the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Longevity has its place: respect old people.

Loyalty over years should be rewarded.

Big is better.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

To the big organization.

To the small organization.

To the vendor’s employee.

To the vendor’s customers, the big organization’s employees.

To #1: self-respect.

What actually happened?

The corporate legal department ordered security to remove all banners and to stop the distribution of the leaflets, which was done promptly. Some employees complained to the head of personnel that their right to free speech had been violated. The public relations manager offered to help the shop owner write a memo or leaflet for distribution to customers that would explain the reasons for the changes, but the shop owner refused, saying, “It’s none of your business.” The director of public relations then told the owner that the company was going to sponsor a going-away party for the short-order cook, which was arranged with the permission and appreciation of the cook. The public relations manager wrote a memo that was distributed electronically and as hard copy to all employees, informing them of the party. The CEO attended the party and presented the short-order cook with a small gift of appreciation. The director of personnel, through his contacts, helped the man secure another position, which turned out to offer him more money and better benefits. The CEO wrote a letter to the building owner detailing the incident and recommending that another tenant be considered when the shop owner’s contract came up for renewal. A short notice was put in the company newsletter about the cook’s new job. No other mention was made of the incident in any company publication.

LO 3-19

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

CASE 3.8

Putting a Money-Losing Fund-Raising Event in a Favorable Light by Shading the Truth

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.8

Putting a Money-Losing Fund-Raising Event

in a Favorable Light by Shading the Truth

The problem:

Through its hundreds of local chapters, a national association for the prevention of a major disease raised a significant amount of money by sponsoring special events at the local level. One of the local fund-raising events, coordinated by an eager volunteer, grossed $15,000, but cost more than $20,000 to stage. The dilemma for the local chapter’s director of public relations was how to put the best light on the money-losing event.

What was the situation?

The national association annually conducted a nationwide telethon and fund-raising drive, which generated the majority of the association’s funds. The association was proud of its fund-raising skills and administrative abilities. Annually it raised millions of dollars, and less than 15 percent of the funds was used for administration expenses; all other funds went to support research and educational programs. Local chapters were advised by national officers on how to conduct successful fund-raising events. For one chapter, a socially well-connected and eager volunteer offered to coordinate a fund-raising event on a large pleasure boat. Billed as a night of dining and dancing “under the stars with the stars” while cruising the area’s coastal waterways, the event included movie actors, TV personalities, athletes, and local celebrities at a buffet dinner and dance held on board. Although tickets to the event sold out, the sales could not cover expenses; several corporate sponsors were necessary to make the event profitable. The volunteer was unable to secure more than one corporate commitment to underwrite part of the expenses and did not tell the chapter president until the night of the event. When the president learned this, she realized the loss was going to be more than $7,000. During the event, she discussed the matter with the chapter’s director of public relations.

What were the values?

The following values have been identified as being important to the public relations manager in this case.

To be organized.

To be profitable.

To be a loyal employee.

To be in charge of the situation.

To be responsive to media demand for timely news.

What were the principles?

The following principles have been identified as being important to the public relations manager in this case.

The best defense is a good offense.

The spin given to the first set of facts sets the agenda for how a topic will be reported in the media and how the public will perceive the situation.

Never tell a lie.

You can fool some of the people some of the time, and those are pretty good odds.

Not telling all the facts is not necessarily lying.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties have been identified as being important to the public relations manager in this case.

To the association.

To current contributors and participants.

To the media.

To those affected by the disease.

To her boss.

What actually happened?

The staff photographer was told to take an extra picture of those in attendance, to make sure that he had complete identifications for all of those in the pictures, and to have the pictures ready for distribution by 4 a.m. the next morning. Before 6 a.m., the director of public relations wrote captions for the pictures that included the figure of $15,000 gross revenue generated by the event; she did not mention the net loss. She had messengers hand deliver the pictures and press releases to the major media within the market before 7 a.m. She told the president that she did this for several reasons: to make sure the positive news about the event was published before the media picked up on rumors that the event lost money; so that participants would feel proud that they had attended the event; and so that potential contributors and corporate underwriters would not be hesitant to contribute to future events. She also suggested to the chapter president that one or two regular corporate sponsors of previous events be approached with the facts of the current situation and asked to underwrite, retroactively, the pleasure boat expenses, so that eventually the event could be reported as making money for the association.

LO 3-20

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

CASE 3.9

Reciprocity Between an Organization and a Local Television Station

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.9

Reciprocity Between an Organization

and a Local Television Station

The problem:

Over the years, the biggest television station in the market had given outstanding coverage to special events sponsored by the county’s Parks and Planning Agency, and the agency had grown to depend on it. Should the public information officer (PIO) have jeopardized this ongoing relationship by offering exclusive features and coverage of certain events to other local TV stations?

Insert Potter Box here

What was the situation?

Each year, the Parks and Planning Agency, primarily through its recreation division, sponsored numerous special events—such as bike races, farmers’ markets, ice skating, softball leagues, dances, and senior citizen activities. Over the years, the area’s most powerful television station consistently aired the agency’s public service announcements and made special mention of the agency’s events on air. One of the station’s major TV personalities was a regular emcee at the annual Fourth of July festivities. This one station provided more than 70 percent of the market’s television coverage of agency activities, even though there were several other television outlets in the market. This lopsided coverage was partly the fault of the public information officers. In the past few years, they had not actively sought out coverage by the other media outlets. On the other hand, the community affairs director at the big station, and many of their producers, managers and on-air talent, genuinely liked Parks and Planning activities. However, the status quo was not to be. At a staff meeting of heads of county agencies, the newly elected county executive told the head of the Parks and Planning Agency, in private, to develop a plan for diversifying television coverage of agency events. The county executive explained, in confidential tones, it seemed to him that “one station in this town has a lock on Parks and Planning. Let’s get other stations involved, shall we, particularly the cable companies.” (It was well-known that a local cable company had not only contributed funds to the county executive’s campaign, but also “loaned” a senior public relations executive with the company for six months to work on his campaign.)

What were the values?

The following values have been identified as being important to the public information officer in this case.

To be politically expedient.

To be loyal to the boss.

To be efficient.

To be a good friend.

To be candid with the media.

What were the principles?

The following principles have been identified as being important to the public information officer in this case.

When the political winds change, go with them.

Never tell a lie.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Take care of your friends.

Professional communicators do not corrupt channels of communication.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties have been identified as being important to the public information officer in this case.

To the county executive.

To herself: the PIO.

To taxpayers.

To the big TV station.

To other media outlets.

What actually happened?

For the upcoming season of activities, the agency public information officer prepared a calendar of events, which she took with her to one-on-one meetings with the assignment editors and public affairs directors for each of the area’s television outlets (independents, network affiliates, and cable companies). She began her round of visits with the hardest one: she explained her plan to her longtime friend, the head of community relations for the big TV station. She offered the station exclusive coverage of Fourth of July events, but stated clearly that other stations in the market would need to be given their fair share of exclusive features and options to cover popular events. The reactions to her plan varied. Her friend at the big TV station was surprisingly nonchalant and noncommittal. One manager at a cable company expressed some interest. The other media outlets were less than enthusiastic. Basically they said, “Tell us about it when you get it ready, and we’ll decide then whether or not to cover the event.” In the next year, overall television coverage of agency activities dropped significantly, primarily because the big station did not make announcements about or cover as many agency activities.

LO 3-21

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

CASE 3.10

Informing the Public About a Product’s Harmful Side Effects

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.10

Informing the Public About a Product’s Harmful Side Effects

The problem:

How should a small manufacturer of tanning equipment have informed customers about potential harmful side effects of the equipment—beyond that which was required by law?

Insert Potter Box here

What was the situation?

A manufacturer of tanning equipment assembled various components into attractive units, which were sold to small businesses. They in turn, charged individuals a small fee for tanning sessions using the equipment. Federal and state regulations required warning labels on the equipment to indicate that certain exposure levels might be harmful to the eyes and skin of individuals using the equipment. The manufacturer’s marketing director asked the public relations specialist on staff to prepare brochures for sale in bulk quantities with the equipment. The marketing director wanted to include quantities of these brochures with the equipment. Then, small business owners would have available good-looking brochures to give to potential users. The cost of the brochures would be included in the sale price of the equipment.

What were the values?

The following values have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

To be forthright and honest.

To be a manufacturer who provides solutions, not problems, to customers.

To be socially responsible.

To be profitable.

To be innovative.

What were the principles?

The following principles have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

The best defense is an offense.

Third-party endorsements are very convincing.

Always deal fairly with the public.

Organizations do not need to disclose payments to outside experts.

Not telling all the truth is not necessarily lying.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

To the manufacturer.

To the small business owners who purchased equipment.

To individuals using the equipment.

To others in the public relations profession.

To #1: the public relations manager.

What actually happened?

The public relations director prepared a four-color brochure using a question-and-answer format. He reviewed various technical articles about the safety issues and created a list of six key questions. For each answer, he cited a different expert who had published explanations elsewhere about how the equipment could be used safely. He contacted each expert and secured approval of a new quotation, a release form, and a studio color portrait. He negotiated separate fees with each expert. At the end of the brochure he used the “mug” shots of the experts and listed their credentials under their pictures. The brochure also contained color photographs of professional models using the equipment safely.

LO 3-22

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

CASE 3.11

Informing the Public About an Unsafe Bridge

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.11

Informing the Public About an Unsafe Bridge

The problem:

When do you inform the public about a four-lane bridge that has failed newly revised safety standards? Do you do it immediately, which means during the middle of rush hour, or do you wait a few hours, after appropriate detours and signs have been installed and when fewer travellers will be affected?

Insert Potter Box here

What was the situation?

The highway department of a Midwest state had recently revised safety requirements for bridges. Under the old standards, one of the state’s most traveled bridges passed inspection. Under the new regulations, it didn’t quite, despite a twenty-year-long outstanding safety record. The inspecting team’s official report recommending that the bridge be shut down for repairs was delivered to the head of the agency at 3:30 p.m., thirty minutes before the rush hour. If the agency were to close the bridge immediately, it would result in hours of delays for thousands of commuters.

What were the values?

The following values have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

To be legal.

To be a team player.

To be deliberate about making the decision.

To be timely in informing the media.

Not to be seen as being afraid of making hard decisions.

What were the principles?

The following principles have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

Do no harm to others.

Always comply with the law.

Play it safe.

Do the greatest good for the greatest number.

When in doubt, don’t do it.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

To the traveling public.

To the organization.

To professional engineers.

To taxpayers.

To the boss.

What actually happened?

Present in the room when the head of the inspecting team made his report to the CEO were senior safety engineers and the director of public information. Some in the room voiced the opinion that placing detour signs would take some time, and that the best time to close the bridge would be during the night. Others pointed out that the probabilities of a disaster happening in the next few hours were very remote. Still others warned that, should something happen, they, as managers, might be accused of malfeasance and be subject to criminal and civil charges. They decided to close the bridge immediately. The public affairs officer issued a press release about the closure describing the new inspection standards and stating that the state’s new inspection process was being used as a model in seventeen other states.

LO 3-22

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Title: Your analysis of what's right and what's wrong.

CASE 3.12

Disclosing Donor Information to Third Parties in a Fund-Raising Campaign

Explanation: same as LO 3-11 thru LO 3-13--only the student is to answer the "key ethical questions" and write an analysis of the case. The student's input of a narrative description in an open field in the database should be able to be retrieved by the student and instructor as printouts. Ideally, for the student, the entire case should be printed out as one document that includes not only the student's answers and analysis but also what the text describes about the case. Having the entire case as a print out will assist in classroom discussions, etc.

Text:

CASE 3.12

Disclosing Donor Information to Third Parties

in a Fund-Raising Campaign

The problem:

How much information should be disclosed about a potential donor to a third party who would be asked to encourage the donation?

Insert Potter Box here

What was the situation?

Since state institutions relied heavily on private donations, they actively sought potential donors, usually through current contributors. They used special researchers to find out information about potential donors, such as their salary and property values. These figures were used to estimate an appropriate and affordable amount that the donor would be able to give. Then, they contacted a current donor who knew the potential contributor. They asked the current donor to help motivate the other person to give the predetermined amount to the institution. Sometimes the motivating party wanted to know how the institution derived the predetermined amount of donation. However, sharing this information would be unethical and could jeopardize the relationships, not only between the institution and the two donors, but also between the two donors, who are friends.

What were the values?

The following values have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

To be confidential and discreet.

To be trustworthy.

To be thoughtful of others’ feelings.

To be successful; to raise a lot of money.

Not to offend anyone.

What were the principles?

The following principles have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

The customer is always right.

Never offend a donor.

Don’t burden someone you like with unnecessary, troublesome information.

Take ‘em for all they’re worth.

Donors benefit by helping others succeed: they gain self-esteem and pride by sharing their good fortune with others.

What were the loyalties?

The following loyalties have been identified as being important to the public relations practitioner in this case.

To potential donors.

To current donors.

To third-party solicitors.

To professional fund raisers.

To the institution.

What actually happened?

The institution’s development specialist convinced the third party of the appropriateness of the predetermined donation. The specialist used public information, such as the average salary of a person in the potential donor’s position of employment, and the average property value in the potential donor’s neighborhood. No personal information about the potential donor was disclosed to the third party.

LO 3-23

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Title: Create your own code of ethics based on current professional codes

Explanation: Student to review and select key principles from various codes, to modify them and to add items to the list. This personal code of ethics, then, should be stored in the database and be available as a print out to the student and instructor.

Text:

Review the codes of ethics in the appendix and select at least ten principles that can serve as your personal code of ethics. Note the IABC code, in the third paragraph of the enforcement section, grants you permission to do this with its code--if you reference IABC in whatever final document you write. If you use any part of any of the other professional codes, you should reference those associations also. In other words, do not plagiarize: give full credit for words and ideas that are the work of other individuals.

Write your ten principles here (and give the source to each principle) to create your personal code of ethics:

LO 3-24

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Title: FACTORS AFFECTING ETHICAL DECISIONS

VARY FROM LEVEL TO LEVEL

Explanation: place this LO towards the front of the chapter

FACTORS AFFECTING ETHICAL DECISIONS

VARY FROM LEVEL TO LEVEL

Gary Edwards, executive director of the Ethics Resource Center in Washington, D.C., identified a number of factors affecting ethical decisions for public relations practitioners at different levels within an organization:

A major ethical problem at the entry-level is not having all the facts, yet having to do what you are told.

At the mid-management level, it’s agreeing to meet certain quotas—signing up to do something—and, then, not being able to deliver. Supervisors are always signing up to do something, agreeing to get people to do something or other, and then, finding themselves unable to deliver. Most organizations pay lip service to management-by-objectives, especially at the supervisory level. In too many organizations, people at these levels don’t set goals; they are told what their goals are, and they have to agree to them. Then, they have to figure out the means of meeting those goals—and, sometimes, they think that means by any means necessary.

At the senior-management level, the ethical dilemma is having most of the facts, yet knowing that some of those facts are not good—and that you have to put a good face on it all, somehow, and deal with the consequences.

Ethical issues arise when there is not enough information, and when there is not enough time to make a proper decision. The best strategy for dealing with the lack of information is to get more, if at all possible, and to verify what information you do have. The best strategy for dealing with the lack of time is to insist on more—to resist being pressured unreasonably. The alternative—for we rarely have all the information we want, and genuine time pressures do occur—is to prepare yourself, ahead of time, to imagine various scenarios, and to train yourself for various possible situations. What you need to do is to think out, in advance, what would be an appropriate, ethical decision.

Another ethical problem arises when people think of ethical situations in simplistic terms—that it’s this or that, either A or Not-A. People should be more imaginative: they should stop and reflect on the situation and think of more options.6