Critique Paper on Social Media and Ethics

 

 

CRITIQUE PAPER ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ETHICS

Joebert G. Cantillo

The article was entitled “Social Media and Ethics: PRSA” which was published by Charisma Glassman, a member of PRSA, on March of 2017. The article holistically accentuates on PRSA, which is a world-renowned body for public relations and media outlets, and its codes of ethics which then affiliates the code provisions of conducts and professional values. Basically, the predominant essence of the text is to present a logical approach on the anatomy and framework of codes of ethics with regards to the use of social media, underlying these codes are the direct misconducts and recommended practices among public relations professionals to maintain a harmonious environment, unfiltered agreement, veridical operation and fiduciary commitment with its partnerships and stakeholders. The codes are essentially designed to be a useful guide for professionals and members of PRSA with the use of social media platforms in this technologically-driven generation.

Given this task of writing a critique paper, the article is honestly apodictic, finely tuned and beyond reasonable doubt esp. with the nature of citing trusted references and a configuration of ethics widely accepted and practiced by high-ranking professionals. Indeed, we are currently living in this seemingly fast forward era in which a single click in social media can either create a dramatic change for the innovation of mankind at its best or foment havoc and chaotic pandemonium that could unleash the worst in men. People created this another dimension for our free expression, a globe of connected outlets for the flow of information and this gigantic fabric of social networks believed to bind the gap together, sharing common vision for public interests. Given that it is most necessarily the responsibility of the professionals to practice and ensure the codes of ethics in navigating media platforms all the time. I personally affirm to the code of ethics as the guiding blueprint in maintaining the integrity in serving the people. To authentically serve the public interest, a free flow of information, good competition, disclosure of information, safeguarding confidences, enhancing profession and the prohibition or prevention of public interests are incontrovertively the pivotal provisions amongst the members and practitioners of PRSA. I must say that the codes of ethics of public relations in America is definitely well established through direct transparency, honesty, fairness and advocacy. Corroborating this fact, the Journal of Public Relations Research on a study “Losing strategy: The impact of nondisclosure in Social Media on Relationships” indicates the result that lack of disclosure indeed damaged the relationship between the organization and public within several maintenance strategies including communicated-relational commitment, customer service, responsiveness to criticism and optimism or positivity (Sweetser, 2010). I would be very much pleased if the author of the PRSA social media and ethics inserted some researches on the response of the practitioners on exemplifying these conducts to not only show the potential attitude among professionals but delineate their beliefs on the moral standards of social media because I was personally shocked about the study I read on the PR abroad. This is a cross-national study of PR practitioners on public relations, ethics and social media that evinced a significant number responding on the transparency of PR practitioners among Israelis and New Zealanders. In the statement “It is okay for PR practitioners to write comments on social media without identifying their real identity”, 60.78% of the NZers and 48.9% of the Israelis disagreed with this unethical conduct, 27.47% of NZers and 31.9% of Israelis agreed with the unethical practice and the rest are neutral. Although there are no significant differences between the two, research say that there is more tendency toward a more compromising attitude among them which is for me quite alarming with regards to transparency.

I could never have agreed more on the misconducts or improper behaviors and recommended practices presented on the text as they are perfectly apropos for professionals to follow, but I would say that they are not all applicable to the stakeholders and clients sometimes. Take Facebook for instance, on the free flow of information people evidently have different biases and prejudice, coordinators regard the winners of certain contests based on democratic voting. It is given the fact that the more preeminent in social media have the greatest possibility of winning because of the influence and followers they gain regardless of the quality of their products, craft or performances. It is a tremendous necessity for professionals and practitioners of the codes to eradicate their unfair treatment regardless of them being competitors, government agencies, gender advocates, or political propaganda because social media is a freedom outlet, the cries and voices of the people matter the most.

 

Citations:

Toledano, M.,& Avidar, R. Public relations, ethics, and social media: A cross-national study of PR practitioners. Public Relations Reviews (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2015.11.012

Sweetser,Kaye D.(2010) ‘A Losing Strategy: The Impact of Nondisclosure in Social Media on Relationships’, Journal of Public Relations Research, 22:3, 288-312 http://dx.doi.or/10.1080/10627261003614401