Deck 6: Ethics

Question 1

Which of the following is at the heart of the ethical practice of public relations?

A) brokering agreements with media to refrain from reporting news
B) stonewalling when it is in the best interest of a client
C) doing the right thing
D) avoiding telling the truth

Answer 1

doing the right thing

Question 2

The cardinal rule of public relations is

A) to lie when it is in the best interest of the client.
B) to write a tell-all book revealing why your CEO lied.
C) to seek special media coverage based on revealing "confidential" information.
D) to never lie.

Answer 2

to never lie.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a factor in a person's ethical construct and approach?

A) birth order
B) education
C) religious beliefs
D) cultural background

Answer 3

birth order

Question 4

Mill's approach to ethics recommended

A) doing that which is between two extremes.
B) doing that which brings the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
C) doing that which could become accepted practice.
D) doing that which demonstrates loving your neighbor as yourself.

Question 5

The "golden rule" prescribes

A) doing that which demonstrates loving your neighbor as yourself.
B) doing that which brings the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
C) doing that which does the least harm to the least number.
D) doing that which could become accepted practice.

Question 6

The "golden mean" of moral virtue advocates

A) doing that which does the least harm to the greatest number.
B) doing that which brings the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
C) doing that which is found between two extremes.
D) doing that which you deem to be the societal standard.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a basic value that the PRSA code of ethics addresses?

A) honesty
B) loyalty
C) fairness
D) authenticity

Question 8

Professional ethics

A) is often called "applied ethics."
B) suggests that distinctly different professional conduct is acceptable.
C) precludes the need for a formal code of ethics.
D) is another name for business ethics.

Question 9

As the "conscience" of an organization, public relations practitioners

A) should advocate to divulge "everything" about the organizations for which they work.
B) should remember to ask, "Are we doing the right thing?"
C) should advocate to impose rigorous regulations against corporate criminals.
D) should ignore criticism that business ethics are non-existent.

Question 10

Which of the following does NOT appear to apply to the state of ethics in business?

A) Summer 2012 was characterized as a "summer of shame".
B) Doing what is in the best long-term interest of the organization.
C) Confidence in business has deteriorated.
D) It is a classic oxymoron

Question 11

A 2011 survey by the Ethics Resource Center found that although employees seemed more ethical in their own jobs

A) only 2 percent said CEOs were "very trustworthy."
B) about two thirds said wrongdoing was not widespread in industry.
C) one-third of U.S. employees said their own managers "didn't exercise ethical behavior"
D) about half said CEOs deserve what others may call "exorbitant" compensation.

Question 12

Which of the following is a reason to have a corporate code of ethics?

A) to avoid having to respond to media inquiries about transgressions
B) to increase profits for publicly-owned businesses
C) to increase public confidence
D) to influence legislators to pass more up-to-date reform bills

Question 13

Who said that "an organization is the lengthened shadow of a man"?

A) Kenneth Lay
B) Ralph Waldo Emerson
C) Martha Stewart
D) Henry Paulson

Question 14

The essence of corporate social responsibility is

A) to increase profitability so the tax rate can be lowered.
B) to manage business processes so there is a positive impact on society.
C) to act only if it is worth the time to enhance the social image of an organization.
D) to avoid having to respond to being asked about transgressions.

Question 15

Which of the following would NOT be a socially responsible activity of a business?

A) providing a healthy and safe working environment
B) avoiding discrimination in hiring, promoting, and retaining the best people available
C) delivering ergonomically correct products and services
D) manufacturing safe products that perform well and do not negatively impact the environment

Question 16

Which of the following indicates the degree to which an organization is socially responsible?

A) adhering to standards for a safe, clean environment
B) following social investing advice suggested only by certified financial planners
C) supporting not-for-profit organizations that advocate only foreign investments
D) making efforts to hire only people who have been underrepresented in the organization

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT identified as part of being socially responsible?

A) providing opportunities for physically challenged people
B) establishing work/life standards
C) practicing fair pricing
D) practicing cooperative government relations

Question 18

An organization's social responsibility image is often determined by

A) its desire to earn a profit above all else.
B) its focus on being the number one patron of the arts.
C) its attention to be ethical and to improve the quality of life for people.
D) its focus on looking good rather than doing the right thing.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT true about the state of ethics in government?

A) Repeated instances of conflicts of interest.
B) A record two years, from 2006-2008, when no politicians were exposed for unethical practices.
C) Questions about former Vice President Dick Cheney's connections to energy corporations.
D) Polls indicating "low trust" of Congress.

Question 20

If journalists were to follow the Code of Ethics published by the Society of Professional Journalists, they would

A) fulfill their readers' morbid curiosity for details about people with various addictions.
B) fight for the right to publish unofficial charges affecting a person's reputation or moral character.
C) guard against invading a person's right to privacy.
D) reveal everything about officials accused of malpractices without giving them a chance to rebut.

Question 21

Standards of practice in the SPJ Code of Ethics for journalists include everything EXCEPT

A) concern for anonymity.
B) concern for objectivity.
C) concern for fairness.
D) concern for accuracy.

Question 22

What impacts the ethical state of electronic journalism?

A) respect for the well-being of persons reported on
B) drive to quickly announce information rather than to accurately report news
C) devotion to balanced, fair reporting
D) drive to avoid playing hardball just for ratings

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an indication of the sorry state of ethical practices in TV reporting?

A) curious criticism by The New York Times for Judith Miller's "cozy" relationship with news sources at the White House
B) network news organizations paying news sources
C) coverage of national issues that intensify the heat but shed little light
D) late-night comedians' ability to land newsworthy people whom TV journalists can't

Question 24

Which of the following is a characteristic of the attorney/adversary model of ethics?

A) the only obligation of practitioners is to do what is in the public interest
B) the emphasis on collaboration regardless of the record of other parties
C) there is an obligation to consider any outside view beyond that of a client
D) recognizes the advocacy perspective in adversarial climates

Question 25

The two-way communication model for ethics

A) was developed by Barney and Black.
B) was developed by Hunt.
C) is based on collaboration and allows for listening and give-and-take.
D) assumes counterbalancing messages will be provided by the sender and receiver.

Question 26

The enlightened self-interest model for ethical practice is based on the principle of

A) balancing the role of department advocate with the needs of the organization.
B) realizing that an organization does well by doing good.
C) advocating for society is more important than advocating for the organization.
D) assuming counterbalancing messages are in the best interest of an organization.

Question 27

The responsible advocacy model

A) is not based on ideals of professional responsibility.
B) fails to reconcile the practitioner's role of being the "interpreter" with the role of being the "social conscience."
C) states that practitioners' first loyalty may be to stockholders, but they also must voice opinions of the organization.
D) was developed by Kathy Fitzpatrick and Candace Gauthier.

Question 28

Which of the various ethical models in your text does PRSA endorse?

A) responsible advocacy
B) attorney/adversary
C) enlightened self-interest
D) two-way communication

Question 29

Which ethical core values would practitioners demonstrate if they sought information even for a rude reporter?

A) honesty
B) fairness
C) expertise
D) loyalty

Question 30

Which core value do professionals demonstrate when they reason against "rock-headed" policy ideas presented by, for example, human resources personnel on behalf of the CEO?

A) fairness
B) advocacy
C) independence
D) honesty

Question 31

Walmart cut its ties with Mercury Public Relations after a junior staff member at the L.A. public relations firm showed up at an anti-Walmart union news conference, posing as a reporter.

Question 32

The deontological approach to ethics means doing what is proper even if the world might perish.

Question 33

Ethical scandals continue to occur in fields from government to business to education to public relations.

Question 34

Aristotle said that the golden rule of moral virtue is found between two extremes.

Question 35

Following utilitarianism means considering the "greater good" rather than what may be best for the individual.

Question 36

The code of conduct for the Public Relations Society of America indicates that honesty and fairness are at the heart of the practice of public relations.

Question 37

By posing the critical question "Are we doing the right thing?" to management, public relations practitioners become the "conscience"
of an organization.

Question 38

The bottom line for public relations professionals is to counsel and do what is in the long-term best interest of an organization.

Question 39

CEOs in handcuffs and others exiting mismanaged businesses but with exorbitant payouts have spoiled the ethical landscape of business in the early 21^st century.

Question 40

A corporate code of conduct formally states the values and business practices to be followed by employees and agents of an organization.

Question 41

Reasons corporations have adopted codes of conduct range from trying to increase public confidence to having a means to respond to transgressions.

Question 42

A socially responsible organization strives to deliver quality products and services that have a positive impact on society.

Question 43

Republican and Democratic Congressmen and governors are among the poster boys for the "sleaze factor in government".

Question 44

At the heart of the Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists is demonstration of respect for the dignity, privacy, rights, and well-being of people whom they encounter while seeking and presenting news.

Question 45

Among newspapers that have been embarrassed by plagiarism are the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and even the New York Times.

Question 46

Jim Grunig created the enlightened self-interest model for ethical behavior in public relations to advocate that for business to do well, it must do good.

Question 47

The responsible advocacy model for ethical behavior advocates that practitioners must remember their first loyalty is to stakeholders, but they must also voice the perspectives of their clients.

Question 48

From the new PRSA code of ethics, we realize that advocacy means protecting the confidentiality of client information unless the client advises otherwise.

Question 49

Among the great challenges in the 21^st century for the public relations profession is altering the mind set that public relations specialists are not "transparent."

Question 50

After examining various breaches in ethical conduct in business, government, media, and in the practice of public relations, a fair conclusion is that responsibility for acting ethically rests ultimately on individuals, not organizations.

Question 51

Describe the classic classical ethical distinctions that you typically follow as you go about your day-to-day business, indicating why they work for you.

Question 52

Briefly describe the Public Relations Society of America's Member Code of Ethics and some of describe its principles.

Question 53

Discuss briefly the state of business ethics in recent times, including 2012, the "summer of shame".

Question 54

List and explain at least three challenges journalists working in various media face today.

Question 55

Honesty and loyalty are two values included in the code of ethics that was developed and published in 2000 for members of the PRSA. What, specifically, do those values entail?