Safeguarding Confidences

Why Communicators Deserve the Same Privilege as Lawyers

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • October 20, 2025 • 0 Comments

This week on EthicalVoices, Amie Hoffner, Vice President of Corporate Communications at American Dairy Queen Corporation, shares why communicators need the same protections as lawyers — and how to stay ethical when the lines between PR, marketing, and media blur. She discusses:

1) Why communicators should have the same legal protections as lawyers

2) How to avoid “on background” disasters

3) Why trusting your gut isn’t enough

4) How to counsel executives in media interviews

5) Why crisis simulations should include an ethical dilemma

How can we best balance safeguarding confidences and disclosure of information – Pete Scott

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • April 3, 2023 • 0 Comments

Pete Scott, the president and CEO of American Pet Products Association. He discusses a number of important issues, including:

1) How can we best balance safeguarding confidences and disclosure of information?

2) How fast should we move on AI?

Ethical Voices is #1

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • November 14, 2022 • 0 Comments

Thank you! Ethical Voices: Practicing Public Relations with Integrity book launched a month early. And it quickly became the #1 and #5 new public relations book (print and kindle) on Amazon.

The most important ethics priority for healthcare communicators – Kena Lewis

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • September 26, 2022 • 0 Comments

Kena Lewis APR, Fellow PRSA, the Senior Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations at Orlando Health. discusses several important ethics issues, including:

1) What to do ethically when your boss is the problem

2) The ethical challenges of online identity

3) The most important ethics priority for healthcare communicators

4) How do you balance safeguarding confidences with transparency and honesty?

What Ethics Lessons Can We Learn from Ted Lasso? Dan Farkas

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • March 7, 2022 • 0 Comments

Dan Farkas, a lecturer of strategic communication at the Ohio State University, discusses a number of important ethics issues, including:

1) Why we need to think slow cooker rather than Instant Pot when it comes to PR measurement

2) How can you ethically blend empathy and accountability?

3) What is the most engaging PRSA ethics case study?

4) What ethics lessons can we learn from Ted Lasso?

Best Practices in Internal Communications Ethics – Elizabeth Pecsi

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • June 7, 2021 • 1 Comment

Elizabeth Pesci, APR, Fellow PRSA, discusses a number of key ethics issues including:

1) How to handle a reporter friend asking you to disclose confidential information

2) Best practices in internal communication ethics

3) What ethics challenge spans the past, present and future?

When National Security Is On The Line, How Do You Ethically Handle Public Relations? – Robert Johnson

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • May 10, 2021 • 1 Comment

Robert Johnson, the host of the PR Nation Podcast, discusses a number of important ethics issues, including:

1) When national security is on the line, how to you handle public relations ethically?

2) The state of truth today

3) Why PR Pros should take a different approach when a reporter asks you about confidential information

Civility, Truth and Hope – Emmanuel Tchividjian

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • April 12, 2021 • 0 Comments

Emmanuel Tchividjian, the principal of the Markus Gabriel Group, and one of the top thought leaders on ethics and communication in the world, discusses:

1) Where your duty lies when you are asked to reveal confidential information

2) The importance of civility and civil discourse

3) How the absence of truth leads to the absence of trust

4) The guiding light of hope

What To Do If You Are In a Toxic Workplace – Thomas Bennett III

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • March 1, 2021 • 1 Comment

Thomas Bennett III, discusses:

1) What to do when you are stuck in a toxic work culture

2) Why we need more honesty and transparency

How Businesses and Executives Fail at Diversity, Addressing Harassment and Humanity – Mike Paul

By Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA • December 21, 2020 • 4 Comments

This is the 100th episode of EthicalVoices and I am bringing you a very special guest. Mike Paul, the president of Reputation Doctor® discusses:

1) What executives should do (and many fail to do) when someone reports sexual harassment to them

2) The ethical failures of most businesses to act on diversity, equity and inclusion

3) When personal relationships are more important than safeguarding confidences

Category: Safeguarding Confidences