This week there are more than a few public relations ethics issues and some of them are real doozies. From AI tools for media relations to plans to restrict freedom of speech and continued resume bias, the topics are worth a read. Check them out below!
- Amiga: Ethics of AI Pitching – Thinking about the ethical use of generative AI in public relations and marketing has been consuming every spare minute of my day. Well today, Propel introduced Amiga, an AI tool to draft press releases and customize pitches. The point my colleagues and I always come back it is we need AI to enhance, and not replace, our judgment. I have tried a few AI tools for drafting releases to see what is out there and have not been impressed (today they seem to be better at drafting blog posts and social content). It will be looking at this further. Although, to me, Amiga will always be my beloved Amiga 1000 computer.
- Plan to restrict freedom of political speech – I was floored when I read this article that detailed a proposed new law (likely never to see the light of day) that would make bloggers who cover the government in Florida register with the state.
- Deepfakes in psyops – In my ethics class I typically have a lively discussion with my students about deepfakes. One of the topics that always comes up is their use by the military. Students typically understand there is a difference between public affairs and PAO officers and those engaged in psyops. This article looks at plans from US SOCOM and asks if it is going too far, and if there are ethical issues in warning about other governments doing it, when the US government is allegedly planning the same thing.
- Hiring bias – When it comes to evaluating resumes, there is a well-known and studied bias against women and people of color for some jobs based on their names. This week, CNBC reported another disheartening data point – that people who include they/them pronouns on their resumes see 8% less interest.
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
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
0 Comments