Course Communication Ethics, Law and Regulation

Course Description:

This course examines the basic legal and ethical concepts of PR and communication, with special attention to the relationship between legal rights and ethical responsibilities. The course will consider statutory regulation self-regulation and co-regulation, influence of public relations and advertising on communication, the PR Code of Ethics, and challenges to regulation of global digital communication. Case studies will be used to illustrate contemporary ethical and legal communication debates.

Course Objectives:

1.     To give students an understanding of the legal and ethical frameworks within which PR and communication industries operate.

2.     To expose students to communication ethics, which they need to apply in professional practice and communication-related work.

3.     To equip students with skills and practical tools on how to deal with practical legal and ethical dilemmas in their communication work.

Course Outline:

1.       Ethical foundations: Consequential and non-consequential approaches

2.       Relations between communication and society

3.       External and internal controls of communication

4.       The legal framework for communication industries [civil and criminal laws related to media]

5.       International and regional conventions that relate to communication

6.       Issues in telecommunication and broadcasting regulation

7.       Communication regulation: statutory regulation, self-regulation, co-regulation

8.       Law and Professional PR ethics

9.       Law and ethics of public relations and advertising

10.    Challenges in regulating new communication channels

11.    Corporate Social Responsibility in communication

12.    Brand transparency

13.    Ethics of advertising appeals/deceptive messaging

14.    Online ethical issues

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, students should:

1. Demonstrate acquisition of knowledge of the legal and ethical regulatory frameworks within which communication industries operate.
2. Be able to apply PR/Communication ethics in professional practice
3. Have skills to deal with legal or ethical dilemmas in communication practice.
4. Recognize the ethical responsibilities of PR professionals and the social responsibilities of corporations and other organizations.
5. Identify the moral issues that arise in the practice of public relations
6.  Use reason, logic, empathy and transparency as tools for dealing with moral issues

 

Methods of Teaching/Delivery:

• Lectures
• Seminar presentations
• Case studies
• Guest lectures

Methods of Assessment:

• Course work 40%
• Examination 60%