Chapter 4: Public Relations Law
|
This chapter begins with the Nike sweatshop allegation case to underscore the legal pitfalls that exist in business. The legal issues at stake involved the extent to which a corporation is entitled to First Amendment protection for its speech, especially in the realm of PR speech. It also involves the right of an organization to defend itself in the court of public opinion. Public relations speech is regulated by many federal and state agencies and by the FTC and the SEC. The regulation also extends in the area of social media. Other areas of legal importance are the invasion of privacy, negligence, product liability, and intellectual property. Finally, it is observed that public relations is important, in the era of social media, to manage the tension between transparency, honesty and ethical behavior.
Karla Gower Biography |