ethics, social responsibility and laws governing public relations

8/11/2019 Ethics, Social Responsibility and Laws Governing Public Relations

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LEARNINGOBJECTIVES

Define what ethics is all about and the role of

public relations in this aspect.

Explain the meaning of social responsibilityand the advantages and disadvantages of social

responsibility

Briefly explain the laws affecting publicrelations.


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ETHICS

Definition of Ethics Brown (1986) define ethics

as a conduct consistent with a set of values that

establishes the criteria by which conduct will be

judged.

In simple terms, ethics are often defined as just

doing what is right.

Ethics are culture-bound and therefore creates

some difficulties for global public relations

practice.


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DEMAND FOR PR PRACTITIONER

TO BE ETHICAL

According to Seithel (1994) PR practitioner must

be scrupulous honest and trustworthy.

PR must act all times in the public interest and

also represent the best interest of an individual

organization.

Ryan and Martisan (1998)- PR practitioner

helped by acting as a corporate conscience who

constantly argued for actions and policies that

are responsive to social needs.

Companies who are responsive to social needswill

automatically find themselves having a

goodcorporate image.


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CONCERN FOR ETHICS AND

CODES OF CONDUCT

There are two main reason why ethics and code of

conduct is so important to the job of a PR practitioner.

1. THE IMPERATIVE TRUST

to protect those who entrust their well

being to the professional.

2.PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEDGE

Protecting the profession itself;

professional privilege, status and

collegiality. PR practitioner must commit

themselves to uphold the profession by honoring

its obligation and values.


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CODE OF PROFESSIONAL

CONDUCT

To protect both clients and their own privilege

positions in the society, professions established

codes of ethics and standard of practice.

i.e. in America, a code of ethics was establishedsince 1950 by the Public relations Society of

America.

In Malaysia, The Institute of Public Relation In

Malaysia (IPRM) has its own code of ethics togovern the practice of PR in Malaysia.


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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Organization in democratic societies exist with

the consent of their publics. Therefore it is

important for them to be socially responsible

Just as with ethics, efforts to be socially

responsible are closely tied with values, which

are anything but universal


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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Certain actions to show that a company is socially

responsible are:

1. Producing sound products or reliable services that do

not threaten the environment and contributing

positivelyto the social, political and economic health of the

society.

2. Compensating employees fairly and treating them

justly, regardless of the cultural environment you are

operating. 3. Never offering overpriced or potentially dangerous

junk in the guise of a high-quality product.

4. Restoring and protecting anything your organization

might damage or threaten during business operation


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ADVANTAGES OF SOCIALLY

RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. PR improves professional practice by codifying and

enforcing ethical conduct and standards of

performance.

2. PR improves the conduct of organizations by stressing

the need for public approval. 3. PR serves the public interest by making all points of

view articulate in the public forum.

4. PR serves our segmented, scattered society by using

communication and mediation to replace

misinformation with information, discord with rapport.

5. PR fulfills its social responsibility to promote human

welfare by helping social systems adapt to changing

needs and environments.


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DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIALLY

RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. PR gains advantages for and promotes

special interest, sometimes at the cost of

the public well being.

2. PR clutters already choked channels ofcommunication with the debris of

pseudoevents and phony phrases that

confused rather than clarify.

3. PR corrodes our channels of

communication with cynicism and

credibility gap


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LAWSGOVERNINGPUBLICRELATIONSIN

MALAYSIA

PR practitioners are governed in two ways:-

1. Code of Professional Conduct

Enforced by Institute of Public Relations Malaysia(IPRM).

For any wrongdoings, a PR practitioner can be :-- Reprimanded

- Fined

- Deregistered.

2. Law of the Country

A PR practitioner can be sued or imprisoned for any offencecommitted under the law of the country such as Printing

Presses and Publication Act 1984,Sedition Act 1948,

Defamation Act 1957, Copyright Act 1987, and Internal

Security Act 1960, revised 1972.


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PRINTINGPRESSESANDPUBLICATION

ACT1984

Regulate the use of printing presses and printing,

importation, production, reproduction, publishing

and distribution of publications.

No person is allowed to keep or use a printing

press unless he or she has been granted license

by ministry of home affairs.


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COPYRIGHTACT1987

Protect right to intellectual property i.e.

inventions (patents), industrial designs, artistic

works such as novels, musical works, artistic

works

Provide the copyright owner the exclusive rights

to reproduce, distribute, and use original works

of expression fixed in tangible medium.

Act covers written, musical, dramatic, pictorial,

graphic and sculptural work.

The aim is to prevent the use of someones work

without due acknowledgement (plagiarism)


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SEDITIONACT1948

States that any act, speech, words or publication areseditious

if they have seditious tendency

Seditious tendency include :-

1. Bring hatred or contempt or to excitedissatisfaction against any ruler or government.

2. Excite subjects to seek alteration other than bylawful means.

3. Bring hatred or contempt to the administration ofjustice in the country.

4. Raise discontent or dissatisfaction among thesubject.

5. Promote ill-will and hostility between racesand classes

6. Question the provision of the constitution.


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DEFAMATIONACT1957

A defamatory statement is a statement which

disparages a person in his office, profession,

calling, trade or business.

It is a false statement which injures a personsreputation by exposing him to hatred, contempt

or ridicule.

Defamation occur in two forms :-

1. Libelpublished in written statement2. Slanderspoken statements


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CRITERIAFORA STATEMENTSTOBE

CONSIDEREDLEGALLYLIBELOUS

1. Hurt someones reputation; be defamatory.

2. Identify the victim by name or by some other way

obvious to others.

3. Be communicated, published or broadcast to an

audience other than the victim.

4. Contain an element of fault, proof of falsehood

being disseminated with either malice or negligence.

5. Or in the absence of the fourth condition, cause

provable damages or injury.


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INTERNALSECURITYACT

Provide the internal security of Malaysia,

preventive detention, the prevention of

subversion, the suppression of organized

violence against person or property inspecified areas of Malaysia.

The act gives Minister of Home Affairs the

power to detain any person with the view to

prevent him from acting in a manner

prejudicial to the security of Malaysia.


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OFFICIALSECRETACT1972

Seek to prevent any official government information

from being received or released from priorauthorization.

The term official means relating to any publicservice

which include;-1. Any public service mentioned under article 132 ofthe

federal constitution.

2. Any local authority

3. Any statutory body.

4. Any person, authority or body declared by theminister to be so

5. In time of war, any government department of anally.


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