Deck 9: Ethics and the Law

Question 1

To use an employee's image in product publicity, sales brochures, or advertising, the organization must have

A) a laid-back organizational environment.
B) no other means to publicize the company.
C) a strong legal staff.
D) a signed release on file from that employee.
E) first amendment waiver forms.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

"Respecting all opinions and supporting the right of free expression" is connected to which PRSA
Core value?

A) loyalty
B) fairness
C) independence
D) expertise
E) advocacy

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The legal doctrine of the "right of publicity" provides

A) unlimited access by companies to use public figures in their promotions.
B) special protection for publicity materials.
C) celebrities the sole ability to cash in on their fame.
D) publicly traded companies to publicize whatever they want.
E) monetary guidelines for using entertainers in publicity materials.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The legal doctrine of "fair use" means

A) once a document is public, it may be used in publicity materials.
B) materials can be used as long as they are not libelous.
C) paying a fee to the creator of the content being used.
D) brief portions of copyrighted material can be used with attribution.
E) none of the above.

Question 5

Which of the following government agencies has jurisdiction to determine if advertisements are deceptive or misleading?

A) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
B) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
C) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
D) Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
E) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) core value?

A) advocacy
B) honesty
C) confidentiality
D) expertise
E) independence

Question 7

For public relations practitioners, the most important lesson gained from the News of the World scandal is that:

A) Even Rupert Murdoch is not untouchable.
B) Ethics in media are much different than ethics in public relations.
C) Trust and brand reputation are fragile commodities.
D) What is legal may not be ethical.
E) The public is very forgiving.

Question 8

Ethics in public relations begins with

A) philosophers who identify values.
B) company ethics policies.
C) an individual's value system.
D) questions of legality.
E) licensing issues.

Question 9

Which of the following practices would be condemned by PRSA?

A) A public relations firm asks its interns to write positive reviews for online message boards.
B) A lobbying firm sends out letters to state legislators on behalf of a healthcare client.
C) Unpaid bloggers post favorable reviews about a client's products and services.
D) Special-interest groups create and fund "citizen" front groups to disseminate information without ? disclosing the actual source.
E) None of the above.

Question 10

Suppose your boss asks you to do something unethical on behalf of client.You are concerned about keeping your job.What is the best course of action?

A) Threaten to take your story to the media.
B) Use the PRSA Code of Ethics as a framework for responding.
C) Remind him/her of the affected publics.
D) Speak with your boss's boss.
E) Both B and C.

Question 11

Most professional groups believe that the primary purpose of establishing codes of ethics is

A) enforcing practitioners to behave ethically.
B) providing education and information to practitioners.
C) putting on a "good face" for external audiences.
D) adding theoretical value to a profession.
E) all of the above.

Question 12

All of the following are suggestions for "winning" in the court of law and the court of public opinion EXCEPT:

A) make carefully planned public comments in the earliest stages of a crisis or legal issue.
B) Work with lawyers only on a limited basis, as needed.
C) develop a litigation communication team before you need it.
D) public relations professionals should counsel and coach the legal team.
E) all of the above.

Question 13

All of the following are to be considered when making ethical decisions in public relations EXCEPT:

A) the public interest.
B) employer or client.
C) professional organization code of ethics.
D) personal values.
E) all of the above must be considered.

Question 14

Which of the following government agencies monitors the financial affairs of publicly traded companies?

A) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
B) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
C) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
D) Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
E) none of the above

Question 15

Which of the following scenarios could trigger libel suit?

A) You send out a news release that contains false statements and injures someone's reputation.
B) Your boss criticizes a competitor in an interview, but the criticism is based on fact.
C) A journalist writes a negative review of a meal eaten at a local restaurant.
D) An employee is fired, and the Human Resources director tells the media that she left for "personal ? reasons."
E) All of the above.

Question 16

When coordinating sponsored event, who is usually responsible for planning and logistics?

A) Human Resources
B) Corporate
C) Marketing and Advertising
D) Company Security
E) Public Relations Professionals

Question 17

Any e-mails an employee writes at work are

A) subject to monitoring by the employer.
B) protected under an employee's privacy rights.
C) not searchable by an employer.
D) Considered employee free speech.
E) none of the above.

Question 18

If you discover that inaccurate information has been disseminated, you have responsibility to correct it immediately, based on which of the following PRSA code provisions?

A) competition
B) safeguarding confidences
C) conflicts of interest
D) disclosure of information
E) none of the above

Question 19

Which of the following can be copyright protected?

A) brochures
B) drawings
C) display booths
D) corporate symbols
E) all of the above

Question 20

When using social media as professional communicator, one should remember that:

A) It is subject to monitoring by the employer.
B) employees may blog freely based on their privacy rights.
C) it is hard to know what is considered company communication.
D) while social media is highly useful, it must be handled with care.
E) Both C and D.

Question 21

copyright does not protect ideas, but only the specific ways in which those ideas are expressed.

Question 22

If boss or client asks you to do something that you know is unethical, it would be wise to refer them to the PRSA or IABC code of ethics.

Question 23

The promotion of products and services through advertising or publicity is not protected by the First Amendment.

Question 24

The Internet has raised new issues about the protection of intellectual property.

Question 25

Thanks to the First Amendment, public relations firm has the right to unlimited free expression on behalf of its client.

Question 26

company has an unlimited right to publicize the activities of its employees in employee newsletters.

Question 27

Most ethical conflicts are not black-or-white issues, but rather fall into gray area.

Question 28

You are the public relations practitioner for an athletic-related organization, and sportswriter asks you for free tickets for high-profile game for himself and some of his colleagues.He has provided you with solid, unbiased coverage over the years and has never asked this of you before.You are confident your relationship would not change whether you extended the favor or not.What would you do? What would you say to him? How did you come to this decision? Include specific ethical considerations in your answer.

Question 29

According to the core value of Loyalty within the PRSA Code of Ethics, one should strive to be faithful to clients and employers, while still serving the public interest.

Question 30

Trademarks pass into public domain and become generic terms after period of 10 years.

Question 31

Name the PRSA Code of Ethics' six core values and explain which you believe is the most important value to practitioners, and why.Also, which is the "least valued" and/or ignored by the profession? Explain your analysis and provide concrete examples to illustrate your points.

Question 32

Studies have shown that members of PRSA and IABC have no greater awareness of ethics and professional standards than nonmembers.