Assessing the Impact of Ethics Instruction on Advertising and Public Relations Graduates

Abstract

Based on a survey of recent alumni from two different institutions, this study indicates that media ethics instruction corresponds with ethical awareness and ethical leadership. Graduates who took media ethics courses were significantly more likely than those who did not to consider ethical issues in their profession important. They were more likely to value ethics highly, to be able to identify ethical issues, and to have discussed unethical practices with professional colleagues. They were also more likely to view personal and professional ethics as indistinguishable. This study suggests longer-term effects on ethical attitudes than have previous studies and reinforces the need for better and more courses in media ethics.