How the assignment should be set out - Well-organised and lucid includes the following characteristics of style and form:- An opening paragraph that provides an over-view of the essay and identifies the salient points of the argument A closing paragraph – what conclusions can be drawn Paragraphs in the middle part of the essay are structured so the paragraph: develops one main idea; that the first sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about; that the closing sentence provides a topic related transition into the next paragraph ________________________________________________ Public Relations practitioners need to consider the ethical limits and social responsibility implications of their communications activities. In addition to a personal dimension, ethical considerations have become an aspect of corporate communication for reputation assurance that practitioners need to understand. Practitioners should be able to analyse ethical implications of Public Relations activities and form reasoned moral judgements. A central ethical question for Public Relations is whether it is justifiable to persuade by any means. This leads to a discussion of the relationship between Public Relations and propaganda, and the role of Public Relations in a free society. ________________________________________________ Learning Outcomes: On completion of this unit a student will be able to: 1. analyse and evaluate the relationship between concepts of ethical and social responsibility and Public Relations activities, and justify personal Public Relations values; 2. locate evolving social values and paradigm shifts and evaluate their implications for Public Relations practitioners; 3. critically discuss the relationship between Public Relations and propaganda; 4. sustain an informed discussion on topical issues involving Public Relations ethics and values (e.g. Corporate Social Responsibility; Corporate Governance; Communication with Stakeholders; Political lobbying; “Spin” and news management).