The Morality (and Immortality) of Your Online Profile

I had a very thought-provoking discussion on Thursday with my students in COM 370 Public Relations about ethics and law in the communication profession. We agreed on several important points:

1. We have yet to discover a "universal" code of ethics or laws that apply in all places at all times.

2. In the absence of a universal code, public relations practitioners must examine their personal values, select a moral framework (e.g., deontology, utilitarianism) to guide ethical behavior, and be consistent in the way you behave at all times.

3. Avoid ethical relativism, or changing and adapting your moral framework and ethical principles to different situations.

4. Think about the moral, ethical and legal implications of your online identity and communications. Even though the law affords you rights of free speech, would it be moral and ethical (or even wise!) to post offensive speech or photographs on your Facebook page?

Following up on point #4, I recommend anyone with an account for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or other social media platform read and take heed of the following articles. Both point out problems related to posting materials that define your online identity -- materials that are often impossible to delete or erase from the Web

Suggested Reading:

• Erasing the Digital Past (by Nick Bilton, The New York Times, April 1, 2011)

• The Growing Business of Online Reputation Management (by Nick Bilton, The New York Times, April 4, 2011)

Read more about our discussion and contribute your comments at http://bit.ly/gURfzB.