Sherry Baker

The tares test: Five principles for ethical persuasion

Whereas professional persuasion is a means to an immediate and instrumental end (such as increased sales or enhanced corporate image), ethical persuasion must rest on or serve a deeper, morally based final (or relative last) end. Among the moral final ends of journalism, for example, are truth and freedom. There is a very real danger that advertisers and public relations practitioners will play an increasingly dysfunctional role in the communications process if means continue to be confused with ends in professional persuasive communications. Means and ends will continue to be confused unless advertisers and public relations practitioners reach some level of agreement as to the moral end toward which their efforts should be directed. In this article we advance a five-part test (the TARES test) that defines this moral end, establishes ethical boundaries that should guide persuasive practices, and serves as a set of action-guiding principles directed toward a moral consequence in professional persuasion. The TARES Test consists of five principles: Truthfulness (of the message), Authenticity (of the persuader), Respect (for the persuadee), Equity (of the persuasive appeal) and Social Responsibility (for the common good). We provide checklists to guide the practitioner in moral reflection and application of TARES Test principles.

Five Baselines for Justification in Persuasion

A framework is introduced consisting of five baselines of ethical justification for professional persuasive communications. The models (self-interest, entitlement, enlightened self-interest, social responsibility, and kingdom of ends) provide a conceptual structure by which to identify and analyze the ethical reasoning, underlying justifications, motivations, and decision making in professional persuasive practices (advertising, public relations, marketing). Although the emphasis of this article is on defining the constructs, their ethical soundness as justification for persuasive practices and their usefulness in establishing direction and methodologies for research in persuasive also are addressed.

The Model of The Principled Advocate and The Pathological Partisan: A Virtue Ethics Construct of Opposing Archetypes of Public Relations and Advertising Practitioners

Drawing upon contemporary virtue ethics theory, The Model of The Principled Advocate and The Pathological Partisan is introduced. Profiles are developed of diametrically opposed archetypes of public relations and advertising practitioners. The Principled Advocate represents the advocacy virtues of humility, truth, transparency, respect, care, authenticity, equity, and social responsibility. The Pathological Partisan represents the opposing vices of arrogance, deceit, secrecy, manipulation, disregard, artifice, injustice, and raw self-interest. One becomes either a Principled Advocate or a Pathological Partisan by habitually enacting or embodying the virtues or vices in the context of professional practices.

Mitt Romney's Religion: A Five Factor Model for Analysis of Media Representation of Mormon Identity

Mitt Romneys religion accounted for 50% of all religion-related presidential primary campaign stories in 2007, and 30% of Romneys total media coverage focused on his Mormon faith. This article reviews that coverage and considers it within the larger historical context of the complex relationship between media and Mormonism throughout the 180-year history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A factorial model (the first in the area of Mormon Media Studies) is proposed by which to document and analyze the wider societal influences that are reflected in media representation of Mormon identity. The models 5 factors include the media, the Mormons, other religions, secular influences, and politics/government. The model assumes an interrelationship among the five factors. Factor influence and relationships among factors vary according to time, issue, and circumstance. The model relates to informational (not entertainment) media. Suggestions are made for application of the model to academic studies.

Perceptions of Media Trust and Credibility Among Mormon College Students

Evaluation of media credibility and trust among Mormons is examined in this study. The results suggest low assessments of the credibility of the mainstream news media across several dimensions. Participating Mormons viewed the news media as liberal and politically biased; they did not agree that the news media were credible, trustworthy, got their facts straight or were moral.

Democratic Learning and The Sober Second Thought: The Effect of Reading John Stuart Mill's Essay “On Liberty” on Tolerance for Free Speech Among Highly Religious, Politically Conservative Students

A survey (n = 349) of highly religious, politically conservative students (religiosity and political conservatism being among the highest predictors of intolerance) shows a significant statistical effect on increased tolerance (both abstract and specific) for free speech resulting from reading John Stuart Mills (1859/2002) essay “On Liberty” and taking a course in the history and theory of the First Amendment. Other variables also affect tolerance, including missionary service and print and Internet news use. TV news use does not.

Commentary 2: A Case of Covert Persuasion

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