International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Simply stated, “ethics” refers to standards of conduct derived from moral values. Those standards vary greatly from discipline to discipline and person to person, and even philosophers approach ethics from multiple directions ( Spence & Van Heekeren 2005 , 8). But in its most basic form these are concepts of right and wrong behavior, not limited to what is required by law ( Drumwright & Murphy 2004 ; →  Communication and Law ; Advertising Law and Regulation ). Law deals with only a limited range of “wrong” behavior, especially in the context of →  advertising. In the US, for instance, the First Amendment, along with practical enforcement limitations, prevent it from addressing most issues (→  Right to Communicate ; Freedom of Communication ). For the remainder, only the ethical standards of those involved in the advertising process stand as protection for consumers. Public perception of advertising often is that “ethics” is a concept foreign to its practitioners. An annual “honesty and ethics” poll by Gallup consistently finds the public ranks advertising among the least ethical professions (e.g., Saad 2006 ). Indeed, study after study consistently finds that about 70 percent of consumers think that advertising often is untruthful ( Calfee & Ringold 1994 ; →  Truth and Media Content ). This perceived ethical poverty, not surprisingly, leads to widely varying concerns ... log in or subscribe to read full text