Ethics steer a person’s decision-making skills and shape core values. Whether in everyday life or in the professional world, ethics serve as the driving force behind the decisions, words, and actions carried out by people. When ethical values are ignored, however, poor decisions are made and ethical dilemmas quickly arise.
In my present and future I hope to embody strong ethical values by carefully thinking through the choices I make for myself and for others. After college I hope to work as a publicist for a nonprofit organization. Hopefully, I will work my way up the hierarchy of positions in the public relations department of an organization, but as I’m working I will need to remember to be respectful of others, honest when I make mistakes, and supportive of the choices my coworkers and employers decide upon. I think that maintaining these actions will not go unnoticed and I will be more likely to be promoted to my dream role as a public relations team leader than a person who does not think through the way his or her actions might be perceived.
I know that my emphasis on ethics is quite different from that of many of the people I will be working with in my future. Because of this rift in ethics, I believe I will inevitably face some ethical dilemmas in my future workplace. One prominent ethical dilemma in nonprofit public relations is the fair treatment of an intern. Due to the lack of funding for nonprofit organizations, interns are rarely paid for their time. Although unpaid internships are somewhat commonplace in today’s society, there is a fine line between asking for an unpaid intern to do more than should be expected of him/her during this time. As a public relations professional I must look out for the treatment of my interns, and in my near future I must be sure to report my own potential unfair treatment at any internships.
Another prevalent ethical dilemma in the world of nonprofit public relations is the usage of deceptive images online. Often, a public relations professional’s job at a nonprofit organization will require convincing the public to donate to the cause that the organization supports. Though this can be an imperative role, releasing any skewed or misleading images online or to the media in order to gain attention for a cause is unethical and should never occur. On a similar note, in the public relations world, professionals should steer clear of plagiarism at all costs. This is a huge ethical dilemma seen in press releases, memos, and the formation of websites. Someone else’s ideas could be great, but passing them off as my own will only lead to trouble.
As a future public relations professional, I must remember to keep my ethics in check and let these values guide my decision-making for the greatest good of my nonprofit organization.
This image depicts the overlaying factors that often cloud a person’s core ethical values in the workplace.
Assessed By Alli 