Скачать или смотреть Ep. 8. PR Ethics Code Value: Advocacy. Ashley Foster with Dr. John Wittig

PR Code of Ethics: Advocacy
We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.

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Ashley: Dr. Wittig, let’s talk about advocacy, and how people can look at what’s going on in the world today, especially in U.S. politics and see examples of advocacy or rather non-advocacy or not doing it in the right manner.

John: Advocacy is critical to a democracy. It’s the basis upon which people make decisions about who to vote for, what policies to support, even where to send their kids to school.

But when you have a government committed to sloganeering rather than advocacy you have real problems. And when the president sets an example by creating an image of false media and using nothing but ad hoc arguments, arguments without support, arguments against the person, ad hominem arguments, and just using labels, it becomes essentially an argument with sloganeers. Who comes up with the slogan that sticks in people’s heads the most.

Since the average American unfortunately pays little attention to what’s really going on and listens to news bites, that becomes the basis of their decision about policy, about presidents, about Congressmen, or whoever, even school board members. That’s the problem that PR people have to deal with.

If they advocate, they have to advocate with the background of information so their point of view has some basis in fact. Not that there aren’t legitimate conflicting points of view, but let the person choose based on information, not based on slogans.

Ashley: So, you support the public having informed debate on all sides?

John: Right. That is correct advocacy.

PR Ethics: Take It Personally.

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