Public Relations Ethical Literacy

Ethical literacy is the ability to articulate a personal ethical viewpoint and to understand the ethical position of others. In psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines ethical literacy as the ability to understand the codes of ethics/conduct relevant to psychology, to identify ethical issues, and to act ethically. Likewise, public relations ethical literacy allows professionals to:

• identify personal values as well as the values of others
• understand the ethical orientations that shape our perspectives
• critically analyze the appropriate ethical frameworks
• apply the ethical principles
• evaluate the ethical decision

This lesson considers the initial steps for ethical literacy: identifying ethical viewpoints and understanding the ethical orientations. Taken together, these beginning steps help public relations professionals “mind the gap.”