This week, there were a number of profound and eminently debatable ethics issues including a number of articles looking at ethical issues in advocacy and technology. The most fascinating discussion for me though deals with potential virtue-based ethics failings around the pardon of Susan B. Anthony.
Joining me on this week’s episode is David Calusdian, the President of Sharon Merrill Associates David is my first guest who focuses on investor relations. He shares his insight on a number of key topics, including:
1) Should you work with someone when their values do not align with yours?
2) What are ethical issues companies face with ESG
3) Core ethical issues with investor relations
This week is chock full of high-profile ethics issues. I can’t wait until I start teaching my PR Ethics course again at Boston University in less than a month as we will have great discussions on these and other issues. Some highlights (or lowlights) include the ethical use of money, bad behavior and inspiration from Marilyn Laurie, the first female CCO.
Lisa Gralnek, the Principal and Founder of LVG & Co., has some great insight to share, including:
1) The ethical trap of enabling toxic, abusive high-performers
2) How can companies best live their values?
3) Why you shouldn’t always fall on your sword
4) The perils of “me before we”
This week I came across three different but interesting stories looking at ethical issues around virtual people. Authenticity was a theme that wove through most of the articles as well. Plus, we get to look at payola in sports media and a really fascinating article on the communication metaverse which introduced a few new areas of concern to me, including brain computer interface data.
Dan Tisch, the CEO of Argyle, one of Canada’s largest and best agencies, discusses:
1) What to do when you can’t convince others to do the ethically right thing
2)Why reputation matters more than image
3) One ethics question every agency owner needs to ask before taking on a new client
4) How communication professionals must prepare as the risk of deception increases daily
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.
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