Ethical Issues In Sports

Abiding by a code of ethics is not always an easy task. It can be especially difficult for public relations professionals in the sports industry. Sports fans demand constant and accurate information about their favorite teams and players. Public relations professionals in this industry must release information quickly to satisfy their fans in order to keep their support, interest, and money. The fast-pace nature of the sports public relations industry opens up many opportunities for ethical issues.

Timing is a major factor in the release of any information in the sport industry. Immediately releasing or withholding information can be a strategic move on the public relations professionals part that can affect sponsorships, suspensions, wins, losses, and other deals. The decision of

The Baltimore Ravens public relations team failed to act ethically in their dissemination of information about former player Ray Rice’s domestic violence scandal. The Ravens released tweets that sided with the abuser, Rice. Additionally, they neglected to release information about the issue, and instead disseminated information about how outstanding Rice’s character is. The Ravens attempted to protect the reputation of their team even when there was substantial evidence, in this case video footage, of Rice’s wrongdoing. Ultimately, this public relations ethical crisis caused extensive damage to Rice, the Ravens and the NFL. Check out the full timeline of the Ravens public responses to the scandal here.

The situation’s magnitude may have caused some public relations professionals to forget about the PRSA Code of Ethics and their own personal credo. If I were presented with the Ray Rice scandal, I believe that my personal credo would have assisted me in acting ethically and avoiding the mistakes made by all the parties involved in the scandal .

My personal credo is as