Codes of Ethics

I found it somewhat surprising to see all of the codes of ethics, perhaps besides advertising, to be somewhat similar. They all illustrate the importance of honesty, advocacy, fairness, disclosure, independence etc. this is understandable being that we are in the field of journalism and have a loyalty to our various publics and stakeholders.

I did think it important to note that the advertising code of ethics, although it was somewhat along the same lines as the more journalistic codes, was a bit different since they are more along the sales standpoint of journalism.

Instead of harping on disclosure, advocacy and independence their ethics were more along the lines of prevention. They were focused on preventing things from happening by stating the importance of being proactive instead of reactive. The advertising ethics were taste and decency, not making deceptive claims and being able to substantiate evidence efficiently to name a few.

I did find it surprising that advertising has the AAF code of ethics. Although, I never really thought too much about it I always assumed that advertising was more of a free for all considering all of the commercials with fine print you see in the media, specifically on TV.

In the back of my mind, I have always considered advertising to be somewhat of a deceptive practice. If I consider all of the advertising examples that come to mind they are always deceptive such as used car salesman or the TV ads that urge people to text 22334 to receive some type of promotion; only to read the fine print at the bottom and find that it will automatically charge you a monthly $9.99 fee for 5 pictures or an illegitimate app that doesn’t actually work.

I guess you could say I am a skeptic, although I do not doubt that people feel the same way about the major I have chosen: public relations. So many people are surprised to find out that people actually go to school for the field and that there are ethical standards and accreditations that must be followed by those choosing to take the ethical route.

Public Relations as a whole gets a bad wrap in the media. Usually it is only thought about during some kind of crisis and/or bad exposure a company or person has recently ran into but so many fail to realize that public relations is also, more often than not, the reason why that company or person has gotten to the point they are at now.

The codes of ethics in journalism as a whole whether it be public relations, news editorial or broadcasting is followed by ethical professionals and most codes can be applied across the board; even the advertising codes of ethics, if tweeked, can successfully be applied to the more journalistic fields of news editorial and public relations.

I found all of this to be interesting considering that we are all in a field that people find hard to trust. Codes of ethics must be followed to instill trust in our publics and stakeholders.

-Alisha Mychele

More info can be found at:

http://www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=37

http://www.marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Pages/Statement%20of%20Ethics.aspx

http://ethicaladvertising.blogspot.com/2008/03/advertising-code-of-ethics.html

http://www.prssa.org/

http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Portman v. Galliano

Anti-semitic rant puts Galliano in bad light.

Dior. Everyone in the fashion world knows something if not a great amount about the power house brand and its founder the late Christian Dior. The name has become synonymous with luxury worldwide. Which is all the more reason why the latest developments about designer John Galliano have been so shockingly offensive.

Dior designer Galliano has really been pushing the envelope lately and it’s looking like it might be pretty hard to come back from at this point. This weekend during the 2011 Oscars Natalie Portman’s new TV ad for the perfume Miss Dior Cherie aired concurrently with Galliano’s offensive anti-semitic video being blasted on the Internet.

The contents of the video almost instantaneously threw him into a quandary being that Portman, the new spokesperson for the perfume, is proudly Jewish. Portman was born in Jerusalem, is an active supporter of Jewish causes and in 2003 she received the Israel Cultural Award.

Once in 2005 Portman disclosed to author Abigail Pogrebin that “Being Israeli has become a much bigger part of my identity in recent years because it’s become an issue of survival.”

Portman also described a close friend that has grasped the “European, anti-Israel way of thinking, and it’s [been] very hard to have conversations with him.”

Only time will tell how the video of Galliano’s rant will affect her relationship with one of the world’s top fashion houses.

“I love Hitler!” Galliano proudly declared in the video apparently drunk at the La Perle brasserie in Paris. He continues on to say to those filming the exchange, “People like you would be dead today. Your mothers and forefathers would be (expletive) gassed.”

To top it all off Galliano allegedly assaulted a couple in a café late last week in Paris, which resulted in his arrest and subsequent suspension by the fashion house.

Portman was prevented from answering how she felt about the designer’s comments when asked in the backstage pressroom after her Best Actress Academy Awards win by the event moderator. This is understandable from a Public Relations perspective because the answer, understandably, could be detrimental both to her career and her current position as spokesperson for the line.

This situation is a nightmare from a public relations standpoint for all parties involved those being Portman, Dior and, of course, Galliano.

The situation with Portman would understandably be a very sensitive one, unavoidable, and she must take the situation into perspective. She must also take her values into consideration and decide if she really wants to represent a line with people such as Galliano working for them. Even though he has been reprimanded the fact of the matter is that he did not just develop these views over night and that he is a talent Dior has harped on for years.

Dior, on the other hand, cannot ignore this situation and they may lose a very big part of their fan base if they don’t take the correct measures toward fixing the situation. Jewish people have historically been very wealthy and undoubtedly purchase Dior, or did. The Public Relations professional for Dior must be ready to hold their hand at this point and make sure nothing else is said that might harm the lines reputation.

Finally, Galliano should probably hire a small PR army to fix this one. He has been off the handle (no pun intended) and has offended a remarkable amount of people with his rants. It is sad that such a great talent is violently self-destructing in such a manner. What makes it harder is that he probably does not even care and keeping him from making any other offensive comments will probably be a job in itself. Galliano has been a hero in many eyes and has disappointed so many of his loyal fans. Only time will tell if he can come back from this.

-Alisha Mychele

For more information:

http://www.stylelist.com/2011/02/28/natalie-portman-vs-galliano-his-anti-semitic-rant-on-video/

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/hilary-alexander/TMG8353397/John-Galliano-fallen-idol.html

To Shoot or Not to Shoot That is the Question

 When you see this name you automatically think, guns, school and death. These words are, understandably, unsettling to any parent or student and automatically spark people to think the next word: protection.

Over the years there have been numerous public shootings resulting in people searching for ways to keep their loved ones safe and protected should they ever end up in such a life altering situation.  The debate over whether to allow guns on campus is raging on and the public and its opinions has been extremely divided over it.

Students and professors at Texas public universities may soon be able to carry concealed weapons on campus. More than half of the states members of the House of Representatives have signed on as co-authors of the new measure. Eight other states: Mississippi, Nebraska, Florida, New Mexico, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arizona (which currently allows concealed hand guns just about anywhere) have “campus carry” legislation pending as well according to David Burnett, director of PR for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

“The point that I would impress on these campuses is that we are talking about former military, ROTC cadets, professors and other mature adults that went through state mandated requirements, exercises and fingerprinting. Not those with violent crimes, alcohol abuse or mental issues,” says Burnett of the pending legislation.

The intended safety reform has not been met without its criticism. The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus currently has 275 schools in 36 different states staying true to its initiative to keep colleges, and schools in general, as gun-free zones.

According to Andy Pelosi, executive director of the campaign, the decision could most definitely influence where parents decide to send their children to college.

It is not unlikely that the legislation will pass. In 2009, the Senate passed a similar bill pertaining to gun control and was not met with nearly as much opposition. This difference is understandable when you consider that college campuses are brewing with large groups of diverse people that hold many different viewpoints.

The issue of gun control has always been a hot topic in our country. Even currently people believe that Obama will soon enforce gun control laws even though he has never explicitly stated this, nor implied it, in any of his speeches.

This brings me to believe that PR for many different advocate groups, both for and against, gun control must be bustling right now. Whether you are for or against gun control everyone has an opinion and has something to say. These advocate groups must have someone representing them and speaking on behalf of their beliefs if they desire to further their efforts.

Regardless of what their PR representatives think about the situation they must be objective and keep the best interest of their client at heart. There is, without a shadow of a doubt, PR professionals working for companies that have beliefs that are unparalleled to their own. The main focus of a PR professional is to keep their organization afloat and to do the best job they can while pushing their personal beliefs aside.

For more information refer to:

 http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/02/23/states-consider-allowing-guns-campus/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/college-candy/university-of-texas-stude_b_827167.html

http://www.concealedcampus.org/

 

The Potter Box: Acting Ethically

 The Potter Box is useful for solving many different problems and ethical issues, even those not related to the field of public relations. Professor Bufkins introduced a case study to the class Wednesday that required us to use the Potter Box to solve an ethical issue relating to an intern at a company and what she was being asked to do. It did not take much to see that the issue was not an ethical one, the Potter box is not always used to see whether or not an issue is ethical but instead it is used to analyze the issue and, eventually, come to an action or decision.

A while ago, Professor Bufkins told the class a story about a girl that used the Potter Box to analyze her current relationship and decide whether or not she should break up with her boyfriend. I found this to be a really good example of using the tool in real life and it showed me another way to apply the things I learn in class to real life issues. Class work does not always have to be boring and if utilized in real life it helps students to get an actual grasp on how to use it in their future career fields.

I find more often than not that unethical practices evolve more out of being careless and not thinking things through than from people actually being unethical. If people actually take the time to sit down and analyze an issue and take it step by step as the Potter box does for you then they will see the impracticalities of acting unethically and would find a better way to go about the situation.

When making a decision you must first define the situation. What are the facts of the case? What is the actual problem you are trying to solve? After finding the answers to these questions establish the values related to the situation both negative and positive. What values are being put on the line? Which ones are you not willing to sacrifice? Next, loyalties must be outlined; state where your loyalties lie and determine all stakeholders that might be affected by your actions, both good and bad.  Lastly, ask yourself what are the principles of the situation? Identify competing principles and determine which ones are most important to you, the company and/or the situation. After you have done all of this you should very well be able to come to an action or decision and act accordingly.

By explicitly stating these things and getting your ideas down on paper it is much easier to see the bigger picture and grasp the situation for what it really is. What we have learned about the Potter box has shown me that instead of just coming to what I believe to be the best action or decision regardless of the situation, I need to sit down and actually analyze the situation. After the analysis the decision I make will be much better thought out.

-Alisha Mychele

Chrislam

Soon to be or an exaggeration?

Muslims and Christians alike are speaking out, both negative and positive, about the recent trend and socialization of the two religions, Islam and Christianity. Recently, Christian entities have been allowing traditionally muslim religions to practice in their churches due to construction and/or the overcrowding of Muslim worship areas and it has not been met without criticism. So it made me wonder, is it wrong for one religion to allow another to practice in their worship centers despite different beliefs? Is there such a thing as extending a helping hand too far? Far enough to undermine the very beliefs that the building was founded on?

Most people, of all religions, would say yes. The very point of a congregation building a church or place of worship is to worship the one and only God they believe in more than anything. A church is supposed to be one of the most sacred places to the members so to let another religion worship their Gods in the very house of their one and only God would, understandably, be insulting to most. 

From the beginning of all recorded history, people, specifically Muslims and Jews, have been fighting over Israel-the Holy Land. Soldiers and citizens alike have sacrificed and lost their lives over the Holy War or what is better known worldwide as Jihad. The very thought of people practicing Christianity in Muslim temples and vice versa, in any other country but America, would be unimaginable and would never happen.

In the words of Dr. Alex McFarland: “We as the church are called to show love, we're called to help. But to let a building simultaneously be used for the activities of a mosque and also the activities of Jesus Christ, it's just incompatible. And I think it's one more example of political correctness and hyper-tolerance gone awry."

So I ask from a PR standpoint is this incompatible?

How do you explain to your stakeholders that you are allowing another entity practice in the place that they have paid to have built? 

Would two opposing PR companies enable each other to practice in the same office? Would Pepsi and Coca-Cola practice in the same building allowing its brand to be blurred, confused and, eventually, be converted into a blurred-purpleversion of Pepsi-Cola?

Based on what I’ve learned up until now in PR there’s no way that would ever happen. Doing that would be the very risk that PR practitioners would advise against and do anything to prevent. 

At the end of the day people must always take into consideration the sacrifices people before them have made for them to be in the position they are now in. As we speak, people are now losing their lives over the Holy Land and the right for people to practice the religions they believe in in their places of worship. Respect must be given to those who came before us and sound decisions must be made off of what has happened in the past.

-Alisha Mychele

 “Chrislam” - a combination of the two faiths that essentially ignores the big white elephant in the room: the exclusive claims of both Christianity and Islam.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/18/churches-open-doors-muslim-worship/#ixzz1EMxwg3W2

The Internet Loses Egypt

February 11, 2011- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned today and handed the country over to the Egyptian military sending the country into cries of happiness and excitement. After 30 years of autocratic rule the country will now have a chance at democracy and elect a new President. The 250,000 protestors in Cairo gleefully honked their horns, waved flags, danced the conga and chanted “Egypt is Free! Egypt is Free!” The footage and relieved looks of the Egyptians helped me to realize just how blessed we are to live in a country where we are free to do pretty much anything we choose- free to determine our own destiny.

The biggest part of the controversy arose on Friday, January 28, when President Mubarak shut down internet access to and from the country not only banning the Egyptians from using the internet and sending information out but banning other countries from sending information into Egypt. How the country did something of this magnitude is unclear but the government does own the country’s two major ISPs and it has been reported that they started by closing down the major routers. These routers direct traffic over the border and by being shut down would initially shut the country out from each other and the rest of the world then officials switched off individual routers to shut off individuals. Officials immediately cut off access to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and banned restriction to all Egyptian websites from outsiders and all websites to Egyptians.

The ethicality of this issue is very clear- shutting down the Internet to prevent news and complaints from getting in and out of an entire country is entirely unethical and, until this point, unimaginable to most. The idea of the internet of a global village, being able to connect to anything and anyone around the world, is what makes the Internet so unique and widely used. What happened in Egypt could not have continued on for much longer and it was clear that something had to give. I am happy to see that the country’s citizens can now sleep peacefully, be at ease and re-connected with the rest of the world.

-Alisha Mychele

Alishamychele.blogspot.com

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/11/egypts-military-backs-hosni-mubarak-cairo-protests-spread/

Black Voices

Today when looking online for a substantial blog topic for this week I found a section entitled “Black Voices” on AOL and decided to look further into it; being that I am Black and that it is February- Black History Month. What I found on the main page was a bit disturbing and disappointing. I found several stories about rappers, singers, a murderer and something about Malcolm X’s family feuding over his estate. The issue with this is there are so many legit articles on AOL’s main page but when it comes to the main page of the Black Voices section there are only stories about entertainment figures and people that aren’t of any educational interest to anybody- not just Black people.

It bothers me that we are in the year 2011 and, still, the main things connected to Black people are music, sports and basically anything entertainment wise- even during Black History Month. Black people have done so many great things for the nation such as inventing the door knob, AC units, clothes dryers and even cell phones (where would we be without that?!) and I feel they should be given more credit.

It leads me to believe that although we are so far removed from the way things used to be, such as minstrel shows and using Black people only for the entertainment of others, that we still have a long way to go. Despite the fact that we have elected a Black man into the White House I feel that Black people will always have to go the extra mile to be taken seriously and that when something goes wrong they will be criticized more harshly than someone that is of Caucasian decent.

Black entertainment figures have been idolized to the point that Black children are no longer looking at magazines and saying they want to be an inventor, a lawyer, a doctor, a revolutionist but instead they want to be rappers, singers, gang-bangers and sports stars. It’s rare that Black children can turn on the TV and see someone that looks them doing something legit and respectable but on the opposite side of the spectrum White children can always find someone to look up to on the big screen.

At this point what it all comes down to is choices. We must teach our children to choose to take the right path and lead by example. They must choose to be the next lawyer, the next entrepreneur and the next President of the United States on their own and the best that we can do at this point is lead by example.

-Alisha Mychele

http://www.blackvoices.com/?icid=navbar_bv_main5

Icy Conditions Paralyze North Texas

Arctic freeze leaves many stranded 

The roads are covered in thick ice in almost every corner of Denton, snow continues to fall and temperatures continue to hover below freezing, in most cases remaining in the low teens. Despite all of this, the excitement over the upcoming Super Bowl XLV has not wavered and everything will continue as planned. The players have arrived confident and unfazed by the weather, residing from Pittsburgh and Wisconsin where frigid weather conditions are common. The only difference being that North Texas, although prepared for the arctic weather conditions, is not nearly as well equipped as the northern cities causing there to be a significant amount of traffic accidents and closures around the city, to include DFW Airport. 

In spite of the mountains of snow, helpless people stuck on the side of the road and icy temperatures the fans continue to pour in for the big game and infamous Super Bowl parties. Although venue changes have occurred and continue to occur, the parties will continue as planned bringing in a significant amount of revenue and exposure to the DFW area. The university has now been closed for almost a week leaving students and faculty with somewhat of a mini spring break and time to relax. The university will prospectively open on Monday, February 6 and classes should continue as scheduled but with all of the unexpected weather it’s no telling when classes will be back in session. The ice hasn’t budged and the snow from last night has barely halted. 

Through all of this bad weather and in the midst of one of the biggest events in North Texas history is a brilliant opportunity for public relations of all types to either shine or get out of town. This would be the perfect opportunity for public relations consultants within the area to address many problems that have risen out of the recent winter storm. The electric companies have numerous rolling blackouts they could address, many of them occurring at my friend and I’s apartments throughout the night and the last couple of days. The consultants in charge of transportation in certain cities can get out there and explain why some of the roads are so treacherous, including many Denton roads. The public relations consultants for the N.F.L. have a lot to address concerning the current weather conditions and upcoming plans that may or may not change. And of course, the public relations consultants for many universities and companies will be busy at work explaining the closings and (prospective) openings of such entities. 

With that being said, times like these are when communications are absolutely vital to reassure the public and provide them with information concerning your company and what’s going on in the environment around them. I would say the university is doing a wonderful job keeping me up to date with what’s going on at the school and what will be going on in the future. Hopefully I will see you all Monday!

-Alisha Mychele