Ethics in communication

Abstract

Few areas in society are more subject to charges of ethical compromise than the communication professions, particularly media and public relations (PR). These are major components of the public sphere, and encroach on people's lives in many ways. They deal in information, and that information can be manipulated for many purposes. Media and public relations practitioners have attempted to diffuse ethics-based criticism by producing codes of ethics that seek to monitor the behaviour of those working in these fields. Most practitioners also recognise that working sustainably and ensuring that the media and PR play positive roles in modern society require a high standard of conduct. The record shows that only a relatively small proportion of media and PR professionals actively seek to be unethical. But the intense scrutiny and visibility inherent in communication and the power of what they do make these professions especially vulnerable to complaint in this area. This chapter will examine the ethical issues at stake, and outline the ways the professions attempt to deal with these issues.