ABSTRACT
One of the starting points for any consideration of PR ethics is the vital question of for whom you would – or wouldn’t – work. Most of us would draw the line somewhere, and once we’ve drawn that line, the other issues fall away – we would simply have nothing to do with that individual or organisation. The problem is that no two people will ever agree on the full list of who is acceptable and who isn’t – and even individual PR practitioners could legitimately claim that their view could change as circumstances change. As the great economist John Maynard Keynes was alleged to have said: ‘When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?’ How can PR people chart their way through these difficult waters?
This chapter looks at:
How far is there an ethical basis for deciding whom you would and wouldn’t work for – and how far can ethical theory be a guide?
How far PR advice can be compared to legal advice – something everyone is entitled to.
How far is the not-for-profit sector a special case – and how far do the same issues apply to campaigning groups and charities as they do to commercial organisations?
Whether PR people need to be passionate about causes they serve – and whether that can be counterproductive.
