Myles Goldman is the communications manager at 340B Health, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit association representing safety-net hospitals and health systems participating in the federal 340B drug pricing program. There he manages digital media. He has a B.A. in Political Communication from The George Washington University. @mylesgoldmanma
1) To what ethical standard should political communication be held? Where should political communication ethics be grounded?
Political communication needs to be grounded in facts, and we need to hold ourselves and our colleagues to that standard. We may disagree about which policy solutions are most appropriate, but the only way we can persuade and move our cause forward is by working with a set of proven facts. Otherwise, the debate becomes bogged down in discerning which points are facts, rather than moving toward policy outcomes.
This doesn’t mean that we can’t set an agenda by highlighting certain issues. We can also point out particular facts within that issue – otherwise known as framing. Agenda setting and framing are both essential to an effective political communication campaign. It simply means that we should be applying these communication principles with critical facts rather than statements that are false or based solely on emotion.
2) Why should someone in political communication behave ethically?
Political communication is all about relationship building through communication on behalf of a cause, candidate, or elected official. The communication can be to the media, to an elected official, to policy thought leaders such as a think tank or to the general public. No matter the audience, credibility remains crucial and ultimately the majority of policy goals cannot be achieved without it. Unethical political communication is one of the quickest ways to damage credibility because it goes right to the heart of trust. If a reporter can’t trust the information you are providing them is credible, then they are unlikely to look at you as a source for stories and the organization or person you represent will suffer for that in the lack of coverage received. In other words, ethical political communication is good for the business of effectively communicating and achieving the policy goal your organization, candidate, or office holder seeks.
3) Can you give an example of ethical political communication? What can people point to and say “do more of that?”
The common perception of political communication is that it is all about political campaigns or working for an elected official. It is important to remember that it also includes jobs working at trade associations, non profits, public affairs for corporations, and public affairs agencies. With that in mind, I think the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), who I am a member of, does a good job with its code of ethics. Every September is PRSA’s Ethics Month, where they discuss many of the same questions that emerge in political communication. PRSA’s Code of Ethics demands honesty and accountability and includes guidelines for how to disclose information, appropriately protect client information, and how to address potential conflicts of interest. It is a great starting point for a conversation around political communication ethics.
Additionally, the Digital Advertising Alliance released in June new transparency guidelines for digital political advertising that creates a system for political advertisements online to include an icon that identifies it as a political advertisement and gives the viewer the opportunity to learn more about who is behind the advertisement. Transparency is a vital component of political communication and these types of guidelines are necessary for ethical political communication in the ever-growing digital space.
4) Can you give an example of an ethical challenge or question you or political communication professionals in your field have faced or are likely to face?
There is going to be continued questions for advocacy organizations that create so called “astroturf” campaigns. This is where the supporters of the third-party campaign or organization don’t exist. Building a grassroots or grasstops campaign can be an effective strategy to achieve a policy outcome and demonstrate the support a policy position has. The problem becomes when a campaign communicates that it has stronger support than it actually has, which can unduly influence the decision making of voters, the media, and policymakers. This is especially a problem at a time when it is easy to purchase Twitter followers through third-party companies. In many cases reporting has demonstrated that the followers purchased are mostly bot and fake accounts.
5) What advice about ethics do you have for people studying political communication or starting their careers in the field?
No matter what the latest digital platform is or what types of media outlets political communicators are interacting with, the basics of political communication ethics should remain the same. This means that people beginning their career in the field should determine before they start their first job what their ethical boundaries are, since they shouldn’t be dictated by the latest technology trend. This is not only important for when an ethical challenge occurs, which often happens under chaotic circumstances, but can also guide what type of organization they work for to begin with. People should aim to work for an organization that has the same ethical values they do. Although this doesn’t guarantee political communication ethics bliss, it is likely to put them on a good ethical path to start.