The International Divide in Public Relations Ethics Education: Advocacy versus Autonomy

Abstract

This study examines how ethics is incorporated into the curriculum and pedagogy of public relations, comparing Western European and U.S. educators. There is a wide divide in their views of ethics pedagogy: U.S. professors take the approach of professional ethics, while European professors focus on moral judgment or autonomy and the need to educate communication practitioners to become ethical agents in the philosophical sense. Although U.S. public relations educators are connected to the industry and appear to want the industry thrive, European educators see themselves as autonomous critics of public relations ethics and exhibit an intellectual distance from industry. Interviews were semi-structured and were conducted with a purposive sample of European (n=20) professors and U.S. (n=32) professors. Comparing participants suggests that European educators have an advantage in preparing students to face ethical dilemmas. Compliance with industry standards limits U.S. educators’ ability to meet challenges of globalization and contemporary business, according to participants. Moral philosophers argue that autonomy is necessary in order to provide a rational, unbiased analysis of ethical dilemmas. Therefore, we conclude that an ideological divide exists in public relations education along international boundaries, related to advocacy for public relations and professionalism versus autonomy and critical reflection of the role of public relations in responsible business and in an ethical society