Deliberation Overview
This deliberation was begun on Thursday, April 2, 2009
This history was compiled on Sunday, November 22, 2009
Describe the Situation
I work for university media relations. A regional company that hires many of our graduates -- especially from the College of Communications -- recently announced a donation of $25,000 to be used as scholarship money. The company said the money should be designated for communications majors with good GPAs who are struggling with college finances because of the economy -- especially those students whose parents have lost their jobs. The dean of the college is in charge of selecting scholarship recipients. I wrote an initial press release about the generous donation for use on the university Web site and by the school and local newspapers, which listed the requirements. My intern, who is a communications major, just told me that the scholarship recipients were announced by the dean of the college yesterday. The dean awarded ten $2,500 scholarships and one of the recipients was the deans own son. The dean's son is a communication major and a good student. My gut says this is not right, but is it my place to question what a college dean does? Should I just let this go?
Consequences Framework
Chosen standard for evaluating consequences:
Serving the Public Interest
This standard is most appropriate because:
This is the job of any public relations professional.
Chosen course of action:
2. Come up with an event driven news angle, such as working with a local dog trainer to have him or her donate their time to give a free workshop on training your new puppy and promote the event to the media. This helps the puppies that are adopted by providing them to an educated owner, and helps the rescue by providing them with community service opportunties and a possible news angle.
This action fulfills my chosen standard because:
This action is consistent with the expectations of any ethics codes that apply to your situation.
I will be able to do this action.
Other alternatives explored using the Consequences Framework:
2. Come up with an event driven news angle, such as working with a local dog trainer to have him or her donate their time to give a free workshop on training your new puppy and promote the event to the media. This helps the puppies that are adopted by providing them to an educated owner, and helps the rescue by providing them with community service opportunties and a possible news angle.
Consequences: This helps the puppies that are adopted by providing them to an educated owner, and helps the rescue by providing them with community service opportunties and a possible news angle. This is truthful and within an appropriate code of conduct.
Explanation:
Notes: This seems like the best option. Although admittedly none of the options have a strong news angle, this one may have the best angle if spun to be a story about prevention of puppies/dogs being abandoned for behavior issues and bounced from home to home.
Agree with Honor Code: yes
1. Determine some news story options that are truthful, although possibly not interesting enough to drive a large media response. For example, focus on an adoption story about an animal that has come to the rescue or a family that has adopted an animal out. The consequences of this option provide an opportunity for news, and also set up a possible ongoing source of news -- testimonials from families who adopt out animals.
Consequences: The consequences of this option provide an opportunity for news, and also set up a possible ongoing source of news -- testimonials from families who adopt out animals. This is truthful and within an appropriate code of conduct.
Notes: Since the narative says that there aren't any stories to be had at the moment, this option may be a little difficult.
3. Invite a reporter to spend a day at the rescue, getting to know the ins and outs of bringing in puppies who are in need, finding appropriate homes for animals, the financial strain facing rescues, etc. The consequences of this choice offer a good news angle while also educating the public about the need for homes for the puppies.
Consequences: The consequences of this choice offer a good news angle while also educating the public about the need for homes for the puppies. This is truthful and within an appropriate code of conduct.
Notes: I really like this option, but the news value depends upon the day, based on the comments about media not wanting a story about needy non-profits, the news value swings on the stories about puppies coming in and going out of the rescue on any given day. If you know you are to receive some puppies on a specific day and their story is compelling, I'd rank this as number one, but don't know that I can assume that in this exercise.
Duties Framework
I have judged that the most dutiful conduct in my situation is:
I need to let the dean know I'll have to publish a press release with the names of all recipients, and having the dean's son on the list raises a conflict of interest.
This action is most dutiful because:
This action doesn't assume the dean was being greedy or abusing power: I can treat it as part of my job to explain the situation (and assume the dean's choice was innocent). I'm a little worried it may look like I'm sticking my nose in someone else's business because PR is separate from education at my school. But I can't do my job well without making this issue known. So I'll just have to word my comments very carefully to make sure this isn't a challenge to the dean's authority as an educator. It's just part of my job as a public relations professional to make sure I can explain and justify the university's actions.
Anyone would be obligated to perform this action because:
Public Relations work is all about trust. I have to be trusted by people inside my institution or I won't get the information I need. But I also have to be trusted by the public or it won't matter how much good press I get.
This alternative is consistent with the expectations of any ethics codes that apply to your situation.
I will be able to do this action.
Ranking of specific duties explored using this framework:
Virtue Framework
An action that will exhibit the most virtuous traits is:
I've got to go to the dean and explain the potential conflict of interest. If the dean won't budge, then I've got to talk to the company as well. Throughout this process I have to remember to just speak honestly about the facts of the situation. (I don't have to be involved in praising or blaming anyone.)
This is the action that an ideally virtuous person would do because:
It's the right thing to do! I can't think of any argument against it except being afraid or lazy, but those aren't virtuous traits.
This alternative is consistent with the expectations of any ethics codes that apply to your situation.
I will be able to do this action.