Ethics & PR

This course is free to CIPR members at MCIPR & FCIPR member grade. To claim your free place, please use code ETHICAL22.

Course aim
The reality of modern public relations could not be further removed from the outdated image of spin doctors that some hold. Yet what does it mean to be an ethical PR practitioner? How can we evaluate client requests, strategic options, and campaign outcomes to ensure that we uphold our professional integrity?

Who should attend
Any PR practitioner who wants to better understand the importance of ethics to the profession and why the CIPR has made ethical reflection a mandatory component of its CPD.

What to expect

• What are ethics? Are they just a matter of opinion? Do they offer us any day-to-day guidance?
• Should I try to achieve a good outcome, follow appropriate rules, act with integrity… or all three?
• Why are professionals held to a higher standard than others? How can ethics support my business?

Course objectives
Participation in the course will provide you with the knowledge to:

• define ethics and debate whether there can ever be a ‘right answer’
• distinguish arguments based on outcomes, rules, and virtues
• articulate your own ethical position and defend it against others
• understand the special role of professional ethics and explain the duty of care
• recognise the importance of integrity in your role as a PR practitioner
• diagnose real life case studies, so you can highlight the ethical issues
• draft an ethics statement that empowers, rather than constrains, your organisation.