Blogging is tough stuff

So I really thought that I was going to be able to blog every day, and I've come to the realization that it's probably not going to happen. With school and work and life and life... and then life again. Maybe if I was paid to blog about stuff (which I'm NOT just FYI), but maybe if I had that kind of motivation I could be more committed to this.

But from what I've heard, it's tough stuff to be a professional blogger. With all of the rules and guidelines and corporate BS, you've got to cover your butt. If you're getting paid though, I guess I'd do whatever it takes. In my ethics class today we were reminded of all the hoops you have to jump through now with all these issues popping up about social media and representation.


Makes me wonder about all the different hoops out there, and if there might be too many hoops (ie- rules or codes).

What would your mother think?

Remember when you first started driving? Your mom in the passenger seat, making you nervous because every time you hit the brakes or popped the clutch she would yell at you. Driving in an empty parking lot is easy, but once you got on the road with real human beings it was another story. Did you drive on your “best behavior”? When you came to a stoplight that was in the processing of turning from green to yellow to red, did you stop or did you haul it through the light? Did you take the time to evaluate all of your options? What if I get a red light ticket? What if I hit someone else? What if my mom makes me pull over and won’t let me drive?

Ethics in media is a lot like learning how to drive and how to drive legally.  There are so many decisions that need to be evaluated before a decision is made. Does this ad promise false hopes and dreams? Is? Is my boss going to throw me under the bus if this turns up bad press? 

You may have to work on an account that is in the tobacco industry.  When you’re working on this ad, you know that smoking is legal, but is your ad ethically suspect? Knowing the rules and how to use the rules will always give you the upper hand.  Would you know what is needed to substantiate a claim from an ad you create? If your mom read your article, would you be ok with that? Do you have a code of ethics that you follow (and actually understand)?

The study of ethics is needed because as strategic communication professionals, we need to be able to stand by and have a strong working knowledge of both business and our own moral principals. I know where I stand on certain issues, but am I strong enough in my own convictions to be able to say no or walk away from an account?

How do ethics drive your decisions?