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Personal Code of Ethics

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22 views4 pages

Personal Code of Ethics

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Melissa Christensen

4/16/2024

Personal Code of Ethics

Ethics are morals that determine a person’s behavior. There are many things that affect a

person’s ethics like personal values, culture, society, education, etc. A person’s ethical decision-

making is heavily influenced by cognitive, situational, and social factors. Ethics are a very

important part of life.

There are many ethical concerns when it comes to the field of mass communication.

Some ethical concerns for public relations specifically are lack of transparency, conflicts of

interest, misleading information, invasion of privacy, manipulative messaging, astroturfing,

social media ethics, crisis management ethics, advocacy for controversial clients and

accountability. It is very important for a public relations profession to adhere their behavior to

the ethics of the industry. They are sharing information with the masses and the way they need to

remain within ethical boundaries (Sammis).

As I enter this public relations field, these are very important factors to consider when

creating my personal code of ethics. I pride myself on being an empathic and respectful person

that holds themselves accountable. It is important to me to have these characteristics shown in

my professional personal code that highlights:

- Honesty

- Fairness

- Advocacy

- Independence

- Growth
It is very important to have integrity when in a field like public relations. Without integrity,

your word will mean nothing. When you have independence, it is very important to take

responsibility for your actions. By providing truthful information and remaining honest, you will

gain respect from my people (Burrelles).

As scary as it is, it is important to speak your mind, even if it is an opposing opinion. It is

only fair to allow for everyone to speak their minds even if they are contradicting others, if it is

done respectfully. Without fairness in the workforce, people will be taken advantage of and there

will be a toxic environment.

Advocating for others is important to me, especially people who can't speak up for

themselves. When in a field like public relations, it is important to have a diverse workforce

since you are trying to appeal and relate to so many different audiences. If I find myself in a

work workforce that is not very diverse, I will do my best to advocate for the people not

represented when making a decision for the organization.

There is always room for growth, especially professionally. As a new employee, it is

important for me to soak up as much information and advice as possible. Even when I am more

experienced, I will continue to grow professionally so I will be the best I can be. No matter who

you are, you can always grow and learn from others (Burrelles).

Something that affects your reputation is who you are loyal to. It is important to me to have a

good reputation. Although I am not in the workforce, yet I see myself being loyal to someone

who is an expert in the field who provides me with guides and knowledge. They would have to

be trustworthy and have similar ethics to me. So, when faced with an ethical dilemma, they can

guide me in a direction that I am comfortable and agree with.


As much as I value honesty, I think I agree with the utilitarianism theory. I believe I would

be most likely to use this theory in the workforce because it examines the morality of an action

based on the potential consequences. By examining the potential consequences, it will maximize

happiness and minimize suffering for the people involved. I agree with what the theory says that

lying in a specific situation that would result in the group's happiness is justified if the lie doesn’t

negatively affect anyone.

This class has taught me that there are many factors that affect one's personal ethics.

Collectively as a society, many people have the same views on different ethical dilemmas. When

it comes to ethics, it is important to follow your instincts and do what you think is right while

being respectful to others. As Albert Campus said, “a man without ethics is a wild beast loose

upon this world.”


Work Cited

“Ethics in Public Relations.” Tulane School of Professional Advancement, 25 Sept. 2020,

sopa.tulane.edu/blog/ethics-public-

relations#:~:text=A%20public%20relations%20professional%20must,image%20of%20thei

r%20respective%20clients.

“Ethics in Public Relations.” Burrelles, 1 Feb. 2024, burrelles.com/ethics-in-public-relations/.

Sammis Ochoa. “10 Ethical Concerns Every Public Relations Professional Should Address.”

Sammis Ochoa, 4 Oct. 2023, www.sammisochoa.com/10-ethical-concerns-public-

relations-professional-should-address/.

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