Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning

Twelfth Edition

Home / Students / Part 3: Persuasion & Public Relations / Chapter 12: Conflicting Loyalties

Chapter 12: Conflicting Loyalties

The six case studies in this chapter provide hypothetical and actual examples of ways practitioners, clients, associations, and corporations have struggled to ethically balance conflicting loyalties and values in their work settings—often in the glare of ongoing media coverage or social media exchanges. The managers and practitioners in these cases—from Coca-Cola Inc. to Toyota to an international communication firm—contend with multiple loyalties to key stakeholder groups such as employees and their families, customers, clients, vendors, sponsors, and their own governments as they make decisions and take action. Cases pose questions such as: in complex professional environments, how does a practitioner emphasize the values that lead to mutual benefit with key publics, rather than personal or one-sided partisan values within the daily workplace? To whom are primary duties owed? During periods of crisis, whose values should take precedence as practitioners adapt to changing scenarios? Various ethical principles are applied in the case analyses.

Chapter 12 – Video Introduction

Transcript

Key questions for the chapter

  1. In such a complex professional environment, how does a practitioner emphasize values that lead to mutual benefit with key publics, rather than personal or one-sided partisan values within the daily workplace?
  2. How might one balance numerous conflicting loyalties?
  3. What principles offer guidance toward arriving at an ethical solution?

Case 51

Discussion Questions

  1. When the safety of consumers are concerned, how quickly should corporations inform the public of safety issues?
  2. Is it ever appropriate for corporations to prioritize profits over consumer safety?
  3. Is an apology from corporate leaders sufficient to restore consumer trust?
  4. Was “Toyota Conversations” on Twitter an effective way for the company to address consumer concerns?

Weblinks

  1. Article resource: Toyota “Unintended Acceleration” has Killed 89 
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/toyota-unintended-acceleration-has-killed-89/
  2. Article resource: Who Was Really at Fault for the Toyota Recalls?
    https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/05/who-was-really-at-fault-for-the-toyota-recalls/238076/
  3. Video resource: Acceleration Problem Prompts Toyota Recall
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c1Dwoak9rI
  4. Press release: Justice Department Announces Criminal Charge Against Toyota Motor Corporation and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with $1.2 Billion Financial Penalty
    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-criminal-charge-against-toyota-motor-corporation-and-deferred
  5. Web resource: Statement of Facts in the Toyota Case
    https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/legacy/2014/03/19/toyota-stmt-facts.pdf
  6. Article resource: New Toyota Sudden Acceleration Claim Surfaces
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/09/11/toyota-corolla-nhtsa-unintended-acceleration/15477263/
  7. Article resource: Toyota’s Slow Awakening to a Deadly Problem
    https://www.cnbc.com/2010/01/31/toyotas-slow-awakening-to-a-deadly-problem.html

Case 52

Discussion Questions

  1. How does the language used by C-suite leaders affect internal (e.g., employees and investors) and external (e.g., the public) stakeholders
  2. At what point should practitioners end relationships with controversial companies and/or their leaders?
  3. How does the language used by C-suite leaders affect employee morale?
  4. Should the public expect C-suite leaders to be advocates for social justice issues?

Weblinks

  1. Article resource: Papa John’s Founder Used N-Word on Conference Call
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2018/07/11/papa-johns-founder-john-schnatter-allegedly-used-n-word-on-conference-call/?sh=2dcb2db34cfc
  2. Article resource: Papa John’s Blames NFL ‘Debacle’ for Hurting its Pizza Sales
    https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/nation-world/2017/11/01/papa-john-s-blames-nfl-debacle-hurting-its-pizza-sales/16289584007/
  3. Article resource: Papa John’s Founder Apologizes: ‘Racism has no Place in our Society’
    https://www.prweek.com/article/1487554/papa-johns-founder-apologizes-racism-no-place-society
  4. Article resource: ‘It’s not Business as Usual’: Papa John’s is Killing its NFL Sponsorship Deal after its Founder said National-Anthem Protests Tanked its Sales
    https://www.businessinsider.com/papa-johns-cuts-ties-with-the-nfl-after-national-anthem-protests-2018-2
  5. Article resource: Papa John’s CEO Steps Down Following Controversial Remarks on NFL
    https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/22/572779230/papa-johns-ceo-steps-down-following-controversial-remarks-on-nfl
  6. Article resource: How the NFL Protests led to Papa John Schnatter’s Downfall
    https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-protests-led-papa-john-schnatters-downfall-203838856.html
  7. Article resource: Experts: Papa John’s Brand Was Too Closely Associated with Ousted, Controversial Founder
    https://www.prweek.com/article/1487693/experts-papa-johns-brand-closely-associated-ousted-controversial-founder

Case 53

Discussion Questions

  1. How do practitioners ethically balance competing loyalties?
  2. At what point do the reputational risks outweigh the benefits of a relationship?

Weblinks

  1. Article resource: What is a Russian Oligarch, and How is their Wealth Connected to Russia’s War in Ukraine?
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-a-russian-oligarch

Case 54

Discussion Questions

  1. Can companies that sell products widely considered to be unhealthy be authentic advocates for public health?
  2. How would public reaction be different if Coca-Cola had disclosed their research funding before the controversy?
  3. Is it ethical for health researchers to receive funding from companies like Coca-Cola?
  4. Are publicly listed companies like Coca-Cola expected to be more transparent than privately-owned companies?

Weblinks

  1. Article resource: Research Group Funded by Coca-Cola to Disband
    https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/01/research-group-funded-by-coca-cola-to-disband/
  2. Article resource: Coke Discloses Support for Health Studies
    https://www.science.org/content/article/coke-discloses-support-health-studies
  3. Web resource: Global Energy Balance Network Response
    https://gebn.org/about/gebn-response
  4. Article resource: Coca-Cola Tried to Influence CDC on Research and Policy, New Report States
    https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/29/coke-obesity-sugar-research-1125003
  5. Article resource: What Role Should Coca-Cola Play in Obesity Research?
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/04/27/what-role-should-coca-cola-play-in-obesity-research/?sh=79ac2fd5a51b
  6. Academic research article resource: Inside ILSI: How Coca-Cola, Working through its Scientific Nonprofit, Created a Global Science of Exercise for Obesity and Got It Embedded in Chinese Policy (1995-2015)
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32955566/

Case 55

Discussion Questions

  1. How do pay for play (PFP) practices influence public opinion and trust in PR and journalism?
  2. Who should take more responsibility when PFP practices are not disclosed? The journalist or the PR practitioner?
  3. How do PFP practices blur the lines between advertising, PR and journalism?
  4. Would disclosure of PFP practices in news articles make the content more trustworthy?
  5. Can the public trust any type of PFP content?

Weblinks

  1. Web resource: Pay to Play (Securities) – Explained
    https://thebusinessprofessor.com/en_US/business-transactions/pay-to-play-definition
  2. Web resource: PRSA Statement
    https://www.prsa.org/docs/default-source/about/ethics/eas/pay-for-play-(october-2009).pdf

Case 56

Discussion Questions

  1. Should the media have waited to verify the information before sharing the misinformation?
  2. If the coal company had a PR team, how would the events that transpired change?
  3. How should media professionals balance speed and accuracy when such disasters occur?
  4. What should the mining company have done to care for the friends and families of the victims during the crisis?

Weblinks

  1. Article resource: 13 Coal Miners are Trapped in Sago Mine Disaster; 12 die
    https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/13-coal-miners-are-trapped-in-sago-mine-disaster-west-virginia
  2. Web resource: Sago Mine Information
    https://arlweb.msha.gov/sagomine/sagomine.asp
  3. Article resource: Bush Puts Mine Safety Review on Agenda
    https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/nation-world/2006/01/22/bush-puts-mine-safety-review/50316071007/