The TARES Test: Five Principles for Ethical Persuasion

Abstract

o 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. Individuals active in some area of professional persuasive mass communication-that is, advertising, public relations, and so forth-frequently have a difficult time defending what it is they do from a societal, common good, and ethical perspective, in their own minds as well as in their conversations with others. Defenders-apologists-for advertising and public relations, although not denying that ethical considerations have been a problem, also contend that critics often overstate the case. Speaking specifically to the question of societal value, advertisers frequently contend that without advertising the American free enterprise system simply would not exist. In this they echo the rhetoric of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun in his opinion for the court in the landmark Virginia Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens

Theory and practice converge: a proposed set of corporate communication principles

“…And IPRA stipulates that members shall refrain from "subordinating the truth to other requirements; circulating information which is not based on established and ascertainable facts" (IPRA, 2005). On the theoretical side, several scholars argued that truthfulness and factual accuracy are necessary to public relations communication (Baker and Martinson, 2001;Edgett, 2002), even in the advocacy mode. Thus, truthfulness has been considered important in both professional and scholarly areas.…”

“…45, 15) cited the work of Martinson and noted that, "he adopts a model of 'substantial completeness' in which the communicator is concerned more with what needs to be communicated to achieve genuine understanding". Baker and Martinson (2001) include the concept under their first principle, "truthfulness" with the question, "Is this communication substantially complete?" (p. 161).…”

Ethical persuasion: the rhetoric of communication in critical care

“…Persuasion is generally viewed as a positive force, used to produce positive outcomes by fostering one's free choice. To persuade someone usually means to awaken in this person a desire towards a particular course of action [10].…”

Age of Access? Grundfragen der Informationsgesellschaft

“…In fact, scholars and professionals alike have highlighted advertisers' responsibility in promoting societal wellbeing (e.g. Baker, Martinson 2001;Cunningham, P. 1999;Waller 2012). However, since the beginning of advertising, the debates surrounding ethical standards for advertising revolve around the same, enduring themes and thus seem to be at a "dead end".…”