An ethical dilemma?

Module 10: As a public relations practitioner you are part of your company’s team bidding for a large upcoming PR campaign when you discover you are very good friends with one of the members on the bid-assessment panel. Knowing this person so well, you can make a very good guess about what they will be looking for in the campaign bids. Is using this knowledge an ethical practice? Explain what your own standards of ethics would be in this situation.

Source: Pop & Hype

In the given scenario of acting as a public relations practitioner within a company seeking to successfully win a public relations campaign bid reviewed by a bid-assessment panel; would it be ethical practice to use knowledge established from a prior personal relationship with a member of the panel? Quite simply it’s up to the individual, but is really not a factor.

In consulting the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) code of ethics, (available for viewing here) there is really only one clause that remotely pertains to the mock scenario and it stands as follows:

7. Members shall inform their employers or clients if circumstances arise in which their judgment or the disinterested character of their services may be questioned by reason of personal relationships or business or financial interests.

Abiding by this clause the practitioner may wish to make this relationship known to all parties involved. However, the PRIA code of ethics is in essence simply a code of personal practice ethics rather than a professional and legally binding code. Kerslake (2015) notes that there are two significant pitfalls in regard to the code, these being (a.) breaches of the code are not dealt with via any legal means, and (b.) the Code of Ethics are only applicable to members of the PRIA.

Source: Deep Green Permaculture

Failing to see the practical advantages of joining the PRIA as a public relations practitioner, I would opt to not become a member of the organisation. Without the constraints of the PRIA in this scenario and the pressures of professional life, I would then use this personal information to the best of my abilities in successfully winning the campaign bid.

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References

Ethics, n.d. digital image, viewed 6 May 2015, http://popandhype.com/2015/02/16/ethics-in-business-and-the-media/.

Kerslake, T 2015, Module 10: Public relations issues – ethics, course notes, COMM11110 Introduction to Public relations, CQUniversity e-courses, https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/.

Public Relations Institute of Australia 2009, Code of Ethics, viewed 6 May 2015, http://www.pria.com.au/documents/item/6317.

Right and wrong, n.d. digital image, viewed 6 May 2015, http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/permaculture/permaculture-ethics/.

Some struggle while others prosper

Module 9: Find an example of a public relations ‘crisis’ within the last two months. What was done to cope with the crisis? In your opinion, has the action helped or hindered the organisation’s reputation? (Consider public agencies as well as private companies).

Source: Special Broadcasting Service

Wilcox et al. (2013 p.168) describes an action that crisis management experts in public relations know as “stealing thunder”. This term is used when an organisation is able to realise conflict at an early stage and reduce the amount of damage the organisation is to deal with and in a best case scenario, use to their advantage.

At 8.30pm on the 6th of May this year, the Special Broadcasting Service or SBS, aired it’s first episode of a highly anticipated three part documentary series. The aptly titled “Struggle Street” however was already a popular talking point around dinner tables, lunch rooms and offices nationwide due to the mainstream media attention it was receiving for all the wrong reasons. Participants in the program and the wider community of Mount Druitt were outraged at the way in which they were portrayed in the televised promo.

Blacktown community mayor Stephen Bali especially took considerable offence, so much so that he ordered a dozen garbage truck drivers to create a blockade of SBS headquarters as can be seen below.

Source: The Guardian

According to Galvin (2015):

Nearly 1.5 million people have seen the controversial first episode, which is a record since the current OzTAM ratings system started in 2001 and doubtless due in large part to publicity from a protest staged by Blacktown Council.

This sudden increased publicity may have been perceived as detrimental to the SBS, but by acting quickly and accordingly, the spotlight was able to be used as free advertising from rival networks. Addressing some of the groups demands, but not overreacting and pulling the plug completely saw that the storm was weathered well. An example of the heated discussion sparked by the show, courtesy of the Australian Broadcasting Company’s program Q&A is available for view here. Inevitably after airing the negative hype surrounding the documentary series proved to be unwarranted and merely provided new levels of success.

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References

Galvin, N 2015, ‘Struggle Street: SBS ponders how to follow ratings smash’, Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May, viewed 16 May 2015, http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/struggle-street-sbs-ponders-how-to-follow-ratings-smash-20150515-gh2g03.html.

Garbage trucks, n.d. digital image, viewed 6 May 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/may/06/george-newhouse-looks-at-defamation-suit-for-struggle-street-residents.

McMahon, N 2015, ‘Q&A recap: Struggle Street sparks heated debate and smart question from school student’, Sydney Morning Herald, 12 May, viewed 16 May 2015, http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/qa-recap-struggle-street-sparks-heated-debate-and-smart-question-from-school-student-20150512-ggzc16.html.

Struggle Street, n.d. digital image, viewed 6 May 2015, http://www.sbs.com.au/mediacentre/.

Wilcox, D, Cameron, G, Reber, B & Shin, J 2013, Think public relations, Pearson Education, New Jersey.

Rhetorically speaking

Module 8: What is the difference between persuasion and coercion? Where would you draw the line at using questionable tactics in order to achieve your public relations objective/goal? Give an example of what you consider to be an ethical use of persuasion in PR.

Source: Positive Rhetoric

Long before modern public relations, there was ancient Greek rhetoric. The Greeks were the first to recognise and truly embrace the potent force that was persuasion, as Radakovic (2010) argues:

The power of suasion was perceived as critical to the welfare… of all citizens living within democracy, due to its power to induce free exchange of opinions and counterarguments within the political arena, which would guarantee arrival at a political consensus on the basis of persuasion and free choice, rather than through coercion and the civil strife.

While this statement focuses on a political agenda, rhetoric extends far beyond these parameters. These principles applied by the likes of thinkers such as Aristotle were ground breaking. Ultimately, if you are able to persuade another to your point of view while retaining the element of free choice, you avoid the possible malice and backlash that may have come through forcing that point of view. In summary, persuasion is tactfully getting your point across without harm and retaining freewill. Whereas coercion is by definition a form of persuasion where force may be used in the form of intimidation (Collins 2015). Where the line is drawn between the use of these tactics is decidedly dependant on differing scenarios, but the communities best interests should always remain a priority.

Source: Boxed Water

The attached image displaying the campaign for the product “Boxed Water”, is in my opinion an ethical use of persuasion in public relations that many companies and practitioners would be wise to learn from. The “ReTree” idea is simple; by purchasing their product and using social media to promote it, the company in turn plants trees to promote sustainability. It is also noteworthy that according to Wilcox et al. (2013 p.153) “70% of brand websites are trusted by online consumers”.

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References

Boxed Water, n.d. digital image, viewed 5 May 2015, https://twitter.com/boxedwater.

Collins 2015, Definition of “coercion”, viewed 5 May 2015, http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/coercion.

Radakovic, M 2010, ‘The origins – where is the connection between persuasion and rhetoric?’, Diplo Foundation, viewed 5 May 2015, http://www.diplomacy.edu/resources/general/origins-%E2%80%93-where-connection-between-persuasion-and-rhetoric.

Rhetoric, n.d. digital image, viewed 5 May 2015, http://www.positiverhetoric.com/.

Wilcox, D, Cameron, G, Reber, B & Shin, J 2013, Think public relations, Pearson Education, New Jersey.

I present to you

Module 6: Using your blog as an example, explain how you have used presentation to reflect professionalism. Justify your post in the context of public relations.

Source: Image Kid

Given the task of preparing a blog for the purpose of representing a public relations practitioner, the posts tagged with course code COMM11110 were made. After consulting a number of public relations companies, I found it unusual that an organisation or group would chose to correspond and endorse themselves this way. Discussing youth, Wilcox et al. (2013 p.209) suggests, ‘because they are such voracious consumers of electronic media, some pundits have labelled generation Y “ the E-Generation”’. With this fact in mind, and the new technology being utilised, I believed this alternative method being used should be reflected by a modern alternative type appearance for a modern alternative audience.

Taking this direction, the submitted articles may not have the clean appearance of other blogs, but it isn’t targeted for that market. A younger audience will respond to the stylised fonts, additional links and clearly presented images displayed throughout. While discussing font choice, The Week (2015) states:

A lot goes into typeface design that we tend not to think about. Online, it’s commonly understood that serifs, or fonts with a tiny line tailing the edges of the lettering, like Times New Roman, help influence the horizontal flow of reading.

Kerslake (2015) notes specific examples of good document presentation, and these examples were taken into consideration when preparing the blog posts:

• White space allows for ease in document reading.
• It is best to keep to one font for the body of the text and one in the use of headings.
• Too much colour can be distracting to the reader.
• Using photos and graphics throughout documents can assist in understanding the major points.

Taking all of these factors into careful consideration, it is my belief that all of these principles were applied throughout this demonstration of a practical public relations blog. The presented blog may not be catered specifically to all potential demographics, but will resonate strongly with those targeted.

Source: Firmly Planted

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References

All the same, n.d. digital image, viewed 14 May 2015, http://firmlyplanted.com/dare-to-be-different/.

Dare to be different, n.d. digital image, viewed 14 May 2015, http://imgkid.com/dare-to-be-different-logo.shtml.

Kerslake, T 2015, Module 6: The public relations campaign – logistics, course notes, COMM11110 Introduction to Public relations, CQUniversity e-courses, https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/.

The Week, 2013, How typeface influences the way we read and think, viewed 14 May 2015, http://theweek.com/articles/463196/how-typeface-influences-way-read-think.

Wilcox, D, Cameron, G, Reber, B & Shin, J 2013, Think public relations, Pearson Education, New Jersey.

Flying rats or misunderstood bats?

Module 5: You are acting as a public relations practitioner for (fictitious) non-profit charity “Flying Fox Appreciation Agency”. From the details herehttp://www.australianwildlife.org/field-updates/2014/awc-inspires-historic-bid-to-restore-extinct-mammals-to-nsw-national-parks.aspx  Write ONE key message. (What is the specific aspect of wildlife conservation that you want to promote in the context of this charity?) Who is your target audience/public? Why?

Source: The Courier Mail

The flying fox or fruit bat, is one of the most widely misunderstood native inhabitants of Australia. This winged mammal goes unpraised for it’s efforts pollinating and dispersing the seeds of native plants. While also commonly blamed for the spreading of Hendra or Equine Morbillivirus (EMV), when in actual fact it is not capable of passing the virus on to humans (Bat Conservation 2012). So while their numbers decline, isn’t it about time we did something?

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) website was consulted on behalf of the non-profit Flying Fox Appreciation Agency (FFAA) charity for their upcoming awareness campaign. First and foremost in the AWC’s listing of key facts was, “Australia has the worst mammal extinction record in the world” (Australian Wildlife Conservancy 2014). This profoundly astonishing fact which was followed by supporting data, will be the key message and basis of the campaign going forward.

As the AWC has already conducted and published their extensive level of research, the FFAA would be right to use this readily available information. Although the key message has the ability to impact Australians as a whole, the data and information provided by the AWC is focused primarily on the state of New South Wales. Using this localised information in what Kerslake (2015) describes as “secondary research”, suggests visitors to the National Parks of New South Wales should be the target audience in this instance.

Source: The Herald Sun

In discussing audiences, Wilcox et al. (2013 p.106) argue that “public relations programs should be directed toward specific and defined audiences or publics”. Given our data is tailored towards the New South Wales public and we are already aware that visitors to these parks hold interests in native flora and fauna, it is for these reasons this specific audience has been targeted.

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References

Australian Wildlife Conservancy 2014, AWC inspires historic bid to restore extinct mammals to NSW National Parks, viewed 5 May 2015, http://www.australianwildlife.org/field-updates/2014/awc-inspires-historic-bid-to-restore-extinct-mammals-to-nsw-national-parks.aspx.

Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD, 2012, About bats, viewed 5 May 2015, http://bats.org.au/about-bats/flying-foxes.php.

Grey-headed flying foxes, n.d. digital image, viewed 5 May 2015, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/flying-foxes-hung-out-to-fly/story-fn6bfmgc-1226011614536.

Kerslake, T 2015, Module 3: The public relations campaign – planning, course notes, COMM11110 Introduction to Public relations, CQUniversity e-courses, https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/.

Wanted, n.d. digital image, viewed 5 May 2015, http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/bobs-fix-for-urban-vermin-is-a-blast/story-fn6ck620-1226240242939.

Wilcox, D, Cameron, G, Reber, B & Shin, J 2013, Think public relations, Pearson Education, New Jersey.