Test Bank

Chapter 3: Ethics and the Law

Multiple Choice

1. Ethics are considered to be ______.

a. what is legal to do in a court of law

b. laws that govern our behavior

c. a code for how one should behave

d. an ultimate ideal to pursue in life

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Are Ethics and Ethical Conduct?

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. What is the best word to describe the ethical responsibilities that PR professionals have for their brands and organizations?

a. strategy

b. consciousness

c. enforcement

d. friendliness

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Are Ethics and Ethical Conduct?

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Beyond simply adhering to a set of guidelines, PR professionals should think of ethics as ______.

a. a mindset and a framework that informs everything

b. a system of laws governing behavior

c. key principles learned early in life

d. rules to follow in some situations and ignore in others

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Behaving ethically, avoiding misconduct

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Which of the following may place the PR practitioner at risk of increased liability?

a. failure to keep records of client activity

b. concentrating too much on ethics

c. working more than 50 hours each week

d. a lack of legal knowledge

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Challenges to Ethical Practices

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. If you are a young PR professional, one of the best ways to learn about ethics is to ______.

a. check with your fellow college graduates

b. see what competitors are doing

c. ask a senior professional to be a mentor

d. read as many law books as possible

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges to Ethical Practices

Difficulty Level: Hard

6. You are a junior-level PR professional dealing with your first big ethical dilemma on the job. The best advice is to ______.

a. call your company attorney

b. stick to established PR codes

c. ask for a new assignment

d. counsel the client in question

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What Codes of Ethics Do We Follow?

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. What does a code of ethics include?

a. values, principles, and expectations

b. analysis, brainstorming, and action

c. research, strategy, and objectives

d. legal principles, actions, and sanctions

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Code of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. The PRSA Code of Ethics is safe to follow because ______.

a. it was voted as the best by PR professionals

b. of PRSA’s size and professional authority

c. it is the most closely related to legal principles

d. it provides for sanctions against offenders

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Code of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. If you were trying to solve an ethical problem related specifically to corporate leadership and communication, which code of ethics would be most useful to you?

a. the PRSA Code

b. the IABC Code

c. the Page Principles

d. the Global Alliance

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: The Arthur W. Page Center: The Page Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. As PR director with a pharmaceutical company, you are dealing with a major product recall related to consumer safety. A journalist wants to interview you about the issue. She says, “Don’t worry. Everything you say will be off the record.” What should you do?

a. Refuse the interview and report the journalist.

b. Confidently proceed with the interview.

c. Bring your attorney along with you.

d. Remember that nothing is off the record.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Potential Situations

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. In order to apply ethics effectively, we must be ______ and ______.

a. inflexible; unwavering

b. holistic; consistent

c. innovative; creative

d. hardworking; outcome-driven

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Potential Situations

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. Celebrities such as DJ Khaled and Kim Kardashian have gotten into trouble for not disclosing they were paid for product- or event-related social media posts. Which area of ethics does this concern?

a. influencer relations

b. disclosing your associations

c. giving or receiving gifts

d. being careful of what you say or do online

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Potential Situations

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Applying principles of ethics to the Chapter 3 case on Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan, it is evident that ______.

a. law and ethics are clearly different matters

b. public relations executives should have counseled him

c. a company attorney must always sit on the board of directors

d. leadership sacrificed global reputation for short-term profits

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Nissan: A Case Study in Greedy Leadership

Difficulty Level: Hard

14. Applying the PRSA Code of Ethics to the Chapter 3 case on Papa John’s, which area of the code should company leaders have observed?

a. advocacy

b. expertise

c. fairness

d. independence

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Papa John’s: A Case Study in Racism and Brand Rehabilitation

Difficulty Level: Hard

15. Recalling the Chapter 3 case on Facebook, it is fair to say that the company ______.

a. advocated forcefully for users

b. did not prioritize ethics

c. tried to be fair to all

d. lacked independence

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Facebook: A Case Study in Audience Deception

Difficulty Level: Hard

16. In the Chapter 3 case on Bell Pottinger, the company created a campaign based which of the following?

a. nostalgia

b. politics

c. coercion

d. distraction

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Bell Pottinger: A Case Study in Inciting Social Unrest

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. ______ is a printed falsehood, while ______ is a spoken falsehood.

a. A tort; a code

b. Libel; slander

c. Copyright; privacy invasion

d. Untruth; a lie

Learning Objective: 3-4: Outline the areas of law that PR professionals need to know.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Legal Matters Do We Need to Know About?

Difficulty Level: Easy

18. When thinking about puffery and deception, it is important to remember that ______.

a. deception is a more serious legal violation

b. puffery is allowed in certain advertising formats

c. they may be unethical, but they are legal

d. the U.S. Constitution allows them

Learning Objective: 3-3: Define the legal implications of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Legal Matters Do We Need to Know About?

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. What is the common theme in most deception cases?

a. Brand strategists have left out minor details.

b. Clients have ordered strategists to lie for them.

c. Brand strategists have made untrue statements.

d. Clients have deferred to strategists when caught.

Learning Objective: 3-4: Outline the areas of law that PR professionals need to know.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Deception

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. When Kind Snack Bars battled the FDA in a deception case, they enlisted the help of ______.

a. lobbyists

b. citizens

c. politicians

d. brand strategists

Learning Objective: 3-3: Define the legal implications of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Deception

Difficulty Level: Easy

21. If you were asked by a client to promote their upcoming special event as “the greatest and most exciting event they will ever attend,” you would call this ______.

a. deception

b. slander

c. libel

d. puffery

Learning Objective: 3-4: Outline the areas of law that PR professionals need to know.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Puffery

Difficulty Level: Hard

22. When taking on a controversial client, organization, or brand, one should remember that ______.

a. your reputation will be associated with that client

b. they must pay you for services in advance

c. it is OK as long as they are operating legally

d. public perception is a secondary concern

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: What Are Best Practices for Functioning Ethically and Legally?

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. Why is it important to know something about ethical practices in other countries?

a. You might need to pay a journalist for news coverage.

b. Their practices stem from the PRSA Code of Ethics.

c. You may have to sue them in a court of law.

d. The world is becoming more interconnected and globalized.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: What Are Best Practices for Functioning Ethically and Legally?

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. You are a managing partner at a PR agency. You have just learned that one of your financial clients has committed a major ethical violation, so you must end the relationship. Your actions here need to be both ______ and ______.

a. short-term; swift

b. punitive; focused

c. direct; immediate

d. diplomatic; legal

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What Are Best Practices for Functioning Ethically and Legally?

Difficulty Level: Hard

25. When we work to be honest and fair to all of our audiences, we are ______.

a. setting a strong ethical example

b. selling out our client interests

c. observing correct legal principles

d. risking the anger of management

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Are Best Practices for Functioning Ethically and Legally?

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. As important as public relations ethics are, scholars disagree on how to define them.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Are Ethics and Ethical Conduct?

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. According to recent studies on public relations education, graduates are well prepared to deal with ethical challenges.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Challenges to Ethical Practices

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. The PRSA Code of Ethics is enforceable by fines and imprisonment.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Code of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. According to PRSA, advocacy means providing a voice in the marketplace of ideas.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Code of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. When in doubt about ethics, it is OK to deviate from the code.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Codes of Ethics Do We Follow?

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. The Page Principles are specifically tailored to corporate relations.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Arthur W. Page Center: The Page Principles

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. If you find yourself in a work culture that does not promote ethical behavior, the best course of action is to ride it out and hope the employer changes.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: IABC, CIPR, and Global Alliance

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. When faced with an ethical dilemma, the best response may not be clear.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Potential Situations

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. Public relations students need to learn more about law than they currently do.

Learning Objective: Define the legal implications of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Legal Matters Do We Need to Know About?

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Libel may be either a spoken or printed falsehood.

Learning Objective: 3-4: Outline the areas of law that PR professionals need to know.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Legal Matters Do We Need to Know About?

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. There is essentially no difference between deception and puffery.

Learning Objective: 3-4: Outline the areas of law that PR professionals need to know.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Legal Matters Do We Need to Know About?

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. Ethical principles are not universal. Different countries may practice their own sets of PR ethics.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Are Best Practices for Functioning Ethically and Legally?

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. When you are facing an ethical challenge, there should be no gray area in your communications.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Are Best Practices for Functioning Ethically and Legally?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. Recall a recent ethical dilemma you have faced at work or in a professional situation. What are some helpful questions you could ask yourself to deal with this dilemma?

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Explain what ethics are and how they apply to ethical conduct.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What Are Ethics and Ethical Conduct?

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Based on your knowledge of the PR industry, what changes would you suggest for improvising the ethics coursework students take in university programs?

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Challenges to Ethical Practices

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Contrast the PRSA Code of Ethics with the Page Principles.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Define ethics and core ethical areas of public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: What Codes of Ethics Do We Follow?

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Choose any major ethics case from Chapter 3 and judge the actions of the major players according to the PRSA Code of Ethics.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Recent Case Studies

Difficulty Level: Hard

6. What are a few of the potential ethics-related situations you may face as a PR professional, and how might you approach them?

Learning Objective: 3-2: Explain the key ethical challenges facing PR practitioners.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Potential Situations

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. Apply major legal principles from Chapter 3 to the area of food labeling. What are the some of the key issues and concerns?

Learning Objective: 3-4: Outline the areas of law that PR professionals need to know.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Deception

Difficulty Level: Hard