ABSTRACT
The primary professional organizations providing ethical guidance are the American Advertising Federation and the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Much like other potential problem areas in mass communications, advertising is subject to both legal restrictions and ethical limitations. In the 1970s, media researchers noticed a double standard in the ethical relationships that advertisers have with print journalists as opposed to their broadcast counterparts. The history of advertising regulation based on a concern for public health and safety dates back to the 1970s, when officials in Virginia attempted to punish a weekly newspaper for accepting advertising for a New York-based abortion clinic. In addition to being punished for publishing or broadcasting ads deemed to be false or deceptive, media outlets can also be punished for accepting ads that imply discrimination in housing or employment.
