Ethical challenges of digital communication in public relations: A comparative study of individual, organizational, and national factors in 52 countries
Ethical challenges of digital communication in public relations: A comparative study of individual, organizational, and national factors in 52 countries
Abstract: Digital communication enables PR professionals to analyze audiences using their personal data, or to distribute messages via paid channels. Although effective, these practices are often assessed critically from an ethical perspective. Several studies have highlighted how individual dispositions like gender and age, but also organizational and national backgrounds shape ethical perceptions and decisions of PR practitioners. However, a combined investigation of these micro, meso, and macro level determinants on moral assessment of the aforementioned communication practices covering a broad variety of professionals, organizations, and countries is still lacking. The research deploys a secondary analysis of merged data collected in four quantitative cross-national online surveys among PR professionals, overall comprising 5,970 respondents in five different types of organizations from 52 countries.
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