ABSTRACT
This penultimate chapter looks at what the future might hold for PR in terms of ethical issues. Inevitably, such a chapter can be based only on analysis and speculation. By definition, there is no research or data that can tell us what will happen – only what has happened. Experience of what has gone before is useful as it may have lessons for what might happen in the future, however, it will only help us so far. Situations and events may be broadly similar but values and circumstances change over time. Some things which are seen as perfectly ethical today may not be seen that way in the future.
This chapter looks at:
As advertising and PR increasingly overlap in the field of marketing communications will new ethical pressures arise?
What are the ethical issues that may be thrown up by changing social, political and economic environments?
In an increasingly global world, how can PR deal with the different ethical expectations in different societies?
Should PR lead or reflect changing ethical values?
