As public relations has gradually emerged as an university discipline, a body of academic writing has taken shape, partly to secure the foundations of what is a relatively new subject. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the issues discussed in Chapter 2, much of the work has focused on PR ethics – how far public relations is, or can be, ethical; and what would-be practitioners need to be taught in order to tackle the relevant issues. This book, as a ‘real-world’ guide, focuses less on abstract theory than some other volumes, and recognises the danger that if people dwell in ivory towers, they can lose touch with reality. Nonetheless, it is important to be aware of some of the thinking about ethical matters that has proved influential in academic circles, even if it is much less well known in the world of day-to-day PR. This chapter looks at:

Some of the key ideas in academic works exploring PR ethical theory.

How far such theorising is applicable internationally, in different cultures and contexts.