This week we discuss the perils of wokewashing, see training resources for ethics classes courtesy of the Page Center, and discuss the article on how hedonism and teleology helps you live a happier life.
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
Tara McDonagh, the president of Tara McDonagh Communications caught my attention with a LinkedIn post in June, where she stated if it’s not painful at times to stand by your core values, you’re doing it wrong.
During our discussion, Tara highlighted:
1) How do you stay true to your values and not simply chase the money?
2) Why you need to focus on character, not reputation
3) Why you can’t rely on others’ moral compasses
Conflicts of interest, particularly around communication from the government, seemed to be the most popular communication ethics issue of the past week. Add into that an update to the Barcelona Measurement Principles including measurement integrity and there are a number topics ripe for discussion. Ethical Measurement – The Barcelona Principles
This week on EthicalVoices, JP Canton, the head of communications and public relations in North America for Polestar discusses ethical issues including:
1) What to do when your boss asks you to make the company seem more diverse than it is
2) Common failings with corporate responses to Black Lives Matter
3) The unethical actions more companies are asking agencies to do and why it is wrong
One of the great things about blogging about communication ethics is I never run out of things to discuss. We had pardons, name changes, sports ethics and on a positive note, a new ethics training guide.
Kelley Chunn, the principal of Kelley Chunn and Associates, discusses a number of important ethics issues, including:
1) What to do when your employer and you have diametrically different ideas?
2) Do organizations that make mistakes on race and systemic injustice deserve help?
3) Advice for making substantive diversity strides
Three very interesting stories this week in PR ethics, all dealing with timeless issues. What is our obligation to protect users’ privacy? What do we do when we see an unethical business practice? And Should you have meetings with stakeholders when you may not want to act on what they say?
I figure everyone is either still gone/checked our for the long July 4th weekend, or is insanely busy covering for those that are out, so Ethical Voices this week is just sixteen words of wisdom about ethics.
A number of significant and lingering ethical issues appear to be moving from words to action this week – most notably the social media advertising boycott. The challenge is how do we seize the moment? I highlighted a few organizations that have helpful advice and research to share on the topic.
Melody Kimmel is one of the nation’s leading media,presentation and message trainers. In this interview, she provides insight into a number of key issues including:
1) Ethics and media interviews
2) How to conduct ethical media training
3) What to do when you make a mistake
4) The perversion of the strength of PR and the decline of trust