Ethics Training In PR, Journalism, Advertising & Strategic Communication

The Arthur W. Page Center's 2024 Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant competition for the study of integrity in public communication will accept proposals on ethics training in public relations, journalism, advertising and strategic communication.

Call Details

Senior research fellow and associate professor at Baylor University Marlene Neill is leading the call. If you have questions, please contact Neill at Marlene_Neill@baylor.edu.

Prior research has revealed strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ethics training in public relations, journalism, advertising, and other communication disciplines. While journalists and public relations practitioners have scored quite high on moral development, advertising practitioners have not always performed as well.

In addition, while journalism and communication students often do complete an ethics course in college, they are not always receiving routine professional development training in ethics, despite the fact that new issues are always emerging in these disciplines. Although the Commission on Public Relations Education has addressed how ethics should be taught in the college classroom, less scholarly attention has been given to ongoing professional education related to communication ethics.

The Page Center seeks grant proposals that examine the state of ethics training in the disciplines of advertising, journalism, public relations and marketing communication. The goal of this project is to contribute to scholarship and industry awareness and understanding about what types of ethics training programs are being offered by employers and professional associations, where are there gaps or weaknesses in ethics training in these disciplines, new and emerging ethical issues this training should address, and recommendations for ways the industry can effectively meet the needs for effective ethics training.

Other compelling ideas or areas regarding ethics training in these disciplines also will be accepted. Studies focused on theory development, organizational best practices, ethical guidelines and/or implications, and other relevant, timely related issues are encouraged.

Proposals should follow the Page Center’s guidelines for grant applications. Successful grants from the ethics training will be included in the Page Center Research Roundtable events. Scholars will be expected to attend two sessions to present their research ideas and findings. Completed manuscripts could be considered for a possible special issue devoted to the topic in the Journal of Media Ethics. More information will be provided in the acceptance letter.

Deadlines & Notifications

Proposal Submissions