One year ago today, I launched EthicalVoices. The response and reaction has been overwhelming, and last month was the best month of traffic ever.

My guiding principle behind the blog and podcast has not changed. If anything, it is stronger than ever.

PRSA and other associations have Codes of Ethics, but too often the examples are black and white. Many professors are doing great research in this area but we need more practical advice as well. Also, when I was PRSA National Chair, I would complain that we couldn’t think of ethics only one month a year we needed to do every day and every week.

Because of this I decided to launch EthicalVoices.com – a weekly blog and podcast that highlights a PR professional and a key ethical decision or challenge they faced in their career. It showcases real stories, from real pros on real issues. Hopefully it provides real insight, real education and real entertainment.

We have touched on so many practical topics:

• Whistleblowers – What to Do When You See Something Wrong?
• Layoffs and Plant Closings
• Impersonating Reporters/Sneaking Into Press Conferences
• Inflated/Unverifiable Claims
• What to Do When Your Client Gives You False Information?
• Massaging Data
• Disasters
• Data Breaches and Security Loopholes
• Timesheets
• AI, Machine Learning and Data Ethics
• What to do when your boss and boss’ boss disagree?
• What to Do When You Are Asked a Question You Don’t Want to Answer
• What to Do When Information Leaks and You Are the Cause
• Do All Companies Have a Right to PR Counsel?
• Ethics and Intellectual Property
• Ethical issues with Behavior Change
• How to Save Your Soul as a Public Relations Professional
• How to Build an Ethical Culture
• Why We Need to Stop PR’s Addiction to Fake Metrics

And dozens more…

Today, I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you.

• Thank you to the 50+ professionals I have interviewed to date for the blog. Thank you for all the visitors who have read the posts and listened to the podcast.
• Thank you to the professors who are using EthicalVoices as part of their public relations and ethics classes. I am glad you find the blog and podcast to be of value.
• Thank you to my wife for supporting me when I shared my crazy idea and pointedly telling me, with a name like EthicalVoices, I darn well better have a podcast to go along with the blog.

In the next year, I don’t plan to change the format much. I plan to interview another 50+ professionals. I may broaden the blog a bit and comment on breaking ethics news, although those cases will be few and far between is the purpose of the site is to amplify other voices.

As always, feedback is welcome. Interview suggestions are welcome. I have interviews lined up now through the end of the year, but I am always looking for more.

Forward, always forward!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow Me

Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA

Mark W. McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA, is the general manager of C+C's Boston office. C+C is a communications agency all about the good and purpose-driven brands. He has more than 20 years of tech and fintech agency experience, served as the 2016 National Chair of PRSA, drove the creation of the PRSA Ethics App and is the host of EthicalVoices.com

Follow Me

Latest posts by Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA (see all)

• How to best counsel your client when they want to respond unethically to an unethical competitor – Tatevik Simonyan - October 28, 2024
• Why it’s important to know many codes of ethics – Erin Kennedy - September 9, 2024
• The Importance of Really Small Things – Capt. Barbara Bell, USN (ret) - May 28, 2024