Doing PR Right: Encouraging Ethical Behaviors

Keywords: ethics, public relations, transparency, sports pr, crisis communication

Being ethical is one of, if not the, most important aspects within public relations. As we have previously discussed, ethical behavior is an organization's large responsibility. Organizations must remain ethical to maintain and foster relationships. EBSCO says, “A business that incorporates a code of ethics into its business practices will protect itself from regulatory and legal actions and will enhance its relationships with its employees, customers, and vendors” (Tiwary, para. 30, 2021).

Image by Alex Korolkoff from Unsplash

Jerry Sandusky and Penn State

Former Pennsylvania State University defensive coach and founder of The Second Mile foundation, Jerry Sandusky, was charged and arrested for sexually abusing eight young boys over the span of 15 years. The incidents took place in the PSU football facilities and Sandusky’s home.

Even though he retired from the PSU program in 1999, he still had access to the football facilities.

Sandusky would befriend the young boys who were a part of his program and bring them gifts. He would even let them stay over in his basement to spend more time with them.

The incidents began in 1998 and Sandusky was arrested in 2011 on 21 felony counts.

There are several ethical issues in this case. There were several witnesses to the incidents, but some failed to report to the police. When they were reported, there was a lack of urgency and accountability among all involved. The administrators were unethical in not telling law enforcement. The university was also aware of the allegations but did not act.

There was no ethical action taken when the case first began. The university and program protected their reputation rather than being transparent and accountable. This led to a decline in the program and faculty.

While there was a push for transparency, the article says, “The new PSU board of trustees chairman, Karen Peetz, provided remarks at the January 20, 2012, board meeting that described the board’s three new core values: justice for abuse victims, increased transparency, and balance between athletics and academics” (Penn State Fumbles, n.d.).

The lack of ethical actions allowed the abuse to continue. PSU failed to ethically approach this situation in which they and all involved faced the consequences.

League of Denial: NFL

Image by Dave Adamson from Unsplash

The National Football League is known for its roughness and aggressiveness during play. This had led to an increase in injuries, especially concussions. Concussions and all injuries are to be taken seriously and properly treated, but players in the NFL tend to ignore the signs and play through the pain.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is extremely common amongst players. This brain disease can cause serious issues and death.

Between 1994 and 2005, the NFL initiated research and established the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee to enhance player safety.

Despite years of research and publications from doctors, the NFL began to address concussions and protocols.

Years following, there began more studies of retired NFL players and the risk for CTE and dementia.

In 2007, a new rule came into effect that prohibited a player who shows signs of a concussion from returning to action on the same day.

This debate is still a topic of discussion, 20 years later. And it is still a problem, “A report in 2016 by the New York Times said the NFL’s concussion database has missed at least 100 concussions, or 10 percent” (Concussions, n.d.). This expresses the magnitude of rejection.

The overall responses from the NFL have gradually adapted and increased awareness of concussions and brain injuries. It is still a problem that does not have a solution.

The NFL is aware of the risks and has enacted some solutions, but not enough to resolve it. There is also the mindset put into the players to ‘play through the pain’, which can lead to more risks. There seems to be a lack of accountability and responsibility within the league and teams as they are focused on winning and making money.

Religion and Reflection

Rev. John J. Geoghan of Boston was accused of criminal abuse of minor boys. This sparked major talk about the abuse of minors by priests. As most bishops would resign, Rev. John J. did not. He would move from parish to parish, still involved with the youth.

This crisis did not fade over time; instead, it grew bigger. Lasting two and a half years, the Church was in crisis mode. Through social media, investigations and lawsuits, this case caused the Church trouble and reflection.

This led to a legal team being formed to strategize a plan. The team built relationships with the attorneys of the victims as a way to settle the claims. The team went ‘direct’ as a way to avoid the media and communicate with the key constituencies. This was done through bulletins and handouts.  

People began to report and claim their abuse by Geoghan on social media

The media became on fire for the story and ‘propelled it to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness’.  The article says, “Another factor that influenced the situation was the highly competitive nature of the media” (Trouble in the Pews, n.d.).

The Church’s leadership and ethical responsibility were questioned. They covered up the problem and failed to act. The Church continued to reassign Geoghan, rather than removing him from the situation as a whole.

The Church lacked ethical responsibility during this incident. It comes with questions that remain unanswered as to why they did what they did. It can be inferred that they were focused on the reputation and image, rather than morals.

The September 11 Memorial

Image by Gregor Schram from Unsplash

The September 11 Memorial

In regard to rebuilding the Ground Zero memorial, there were a couple of conflicts that led to a standstill in 2006.

The first conflict was financing the rebuild and paying rental payments to the Port Authority. The second issue was with the LMDC and the construction of the National September 11^th Memorial and Museum.

The Authority found that the size and complexity of the architecture, the budget and the schedule were ‘unrealistic’. This led to the Authority proposing three guidelines to ensure operation. These included having certain and clear plans, putting all conflicts on the table while being honest and transparent and lastly, tough decisions needed to be made.

These insights are relevant to public relations ethics and are great learning tools. They are highlighted through three points: conflict is inevitable, practitioners must attend to the concerns and practitioners must understand the responses of all involved. The article says, “Public relations practitioners have the task of navigating the mixed motives of these divergent and diverse stakeholder groups”, emphasizing the importance of public relations (Karolak and Mancino, n.d., p. 4).

The overall solution to the conflicts was resolved through identifying the goals, interests and ethical concerns. This case can be a learning tool for overcoming conflicts and resolving issues.

In conclusion, public relations can be a vital tool in maintaining ethical responsibility. In the first three cases, there was a lack of efficient public relations, resulting in ethical issues. The last case had public relations to help maintain ethics and morals, resulting in efficient work. Agility PR says, “Trust, transparency, and responsible decision-making are not optional luxuries but rather vital components of effective communication and relationship-building” (Walton, 2025).

References

"Concussions: a yellow flag on the NFL". (n.d.). https://canvas.ou.edu/courses/417712/files/126553356?module_item_id=7954128

Karolak, H., & Mancino, S. (n.d.). The september 11 memorial . Public Relations Functions. https://canvas.ou.edu/courses/417712/files/126553335?module_item_id=7954130

"Penn state fumbles: child abuser operates undetected in happy valley". (n.d.). https://canvas.ou.edu/courses/417712/files/126553358?module_item_id=7954127

Tiwary, R. S. (2021). Ethical responsibilities of Business: Research Starters: EBSCO research. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/law/ethical-responsibilities-business

"Trouble in the pews: the catholic church and child molestation". (n.d.). https://canvas.ou.edu/courses/417712/files/126553311?module_item_id=7954129

Walton, M. (2025, June 22). The importance of ethics in PR: Why ethical conduct is critical to success - agility PR solutions. Agility PR Solutions - Media Relations... Streamlined. https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/branding-reputation/the-importance-of-ethics-in-pr-why-ethical-conduct-is-critical-to-success/