5 lessons in ethics from PR disasters
Tempted to skirt PRSA guidelines in order to get ahead? These missteps show what could happen if you do.
It’s the largest penalty that a single company has ever had to pay, and many PR pros wonder how much it will damage BP’s brand—or whether it will ultimately sink the company.
The crisis brought on by negligence made many question the company’s motives and ethics, and it’s still a cautionary tale for communications professionals.
Let’s look at cases in which other PR pros violated ethical guidelines in order to advance their organizations’ means. Here are five lessons in ethics from recent PR debacles:
1. National Football League: Looking the other way won’t get you far.
When a video surfaced showing former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée in a hotel elevator, a crisis unfolded in the NFL.
Thousands called for the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, to resign, and brands censured the sports organization for its mishandling of domestic abuse incidents among its players.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
