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ПОСОБИЕ ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ ДЛЯ СТУДЕНТОВ ГУМАНИТАРНЫХ ВУЗОВ 61

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UNIT

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A.

То be effective and persuasive, public relation writing must be conducted within a legal and ethical framework. First, you must understand legal concepts so as to know what you may do and what you must avoid. Careless work can lead to costly litigation for you and your employer. Second, you cannot produce and distribute publicity mate­rials that are credible and believable if you don't have a strong ethical and professional orientation. The public demands accountability and won't tolerate mere "puffery".

Examples of Legal Problem

As a public relations writer, you represent the management of your organization. What you release is interpreted as the voice of management. Nevertheless, you can be held personally liable for any statements that cause defamation or violate the guidelines of state regulatory agencies. Actions are ordinarily brought against the top officials of an organization, but remember that you can be named as a co-defendant.

To protect yourself, you should be sure that the facts you are given are accurate. It is no excuse to say, "The boss told me that was so". In a trial, you must be able to prove that you made a reasonable effort to verify information.

Among the actions for which you might be liable are the following:

• Disseminating information that a court or regulatory agency finds misleading, untrue, or damaging

• Participating in an illegal action

• Counseling or guiding policy to accomplish an illegal action

• Setting up an organization whose real identity is concealed.