Moral objectivity, Jurgen Habermas's discourse ethics, and public relations

While increasing attention is being paid by people in public relations to ethical theory, the predominant ethical perspective in the field is still situational. The reason for this, at least in part, is the loss of the traditional grounds of moral objectivity - tradition, religion, and universal reason. But the situational perspective fails to provide adequate standards for an ethical basis for the practice of public relations. This article analyzes the applicability of the Discourse Ethics theory of Jurgen Habermas to public relations ethics. It explores the major facets of Discourse Ethics and demonstrates its compatibility with the Grunig-Hunt two-way symmetrical model of public relations. It then briefly assesses the applicability of the theory to the issues of codes of ethics and the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The conclusion is that Discourse Ethics holds out the potential of a new, more objective grounding for ethical theory and for the practice of public relations.