CPC Ethics & Legal Considerations in Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PR professional learns that a company spokesperson misspoke during a press conference. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Issue a correction or clarification promptly (Correct answer)
- Hope journalists did not notice the error
- Deny the spokesperson made any statement
- Blame the journalist for misquoting
Correct answer: Issue a correction or clarification promptly
Ethical communication requires promptly correcting misinformation to maintain credibility and public trust.
Question 2: Which federal law governs the disclosure requirements for political advertising and sponsored communications?
- The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) (Correct answer)
- The Sherman Antitrust Act
- The Freedom of Information Act
- The Consumer Protection Act
Correct answer: The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
The BCRA (McCain-Feingold Act) mandates disclosure of funding sources for political advertisements and campaign communications.
Question 3: A communicator uses a competitor's trademarked slogan in a comparative advertisement. This practice is generally:
- Permissible if the comparison is truthful and non-misleading (Correct answer)
- Always illegal under trademark law
- Permissible only with written consent
- Prohibited under the First Amendment
Correct answer: Permissible if the comparison is truthful and non-misleading
Nominative fair use allows reference to a competitor's trademark in truthful comparative advertising without infringement.
Question 4: When a public relations professional simultaneously represents two clients with competing interests, this situation is known as:
- A conflict of interest (Correct answer)
- Dual agency representation
- Stakeholder multiplicity
- Fiduciary overlap
Correct answer: A conflict of interest
Representing clients with opposing interests creates a conflict of interest that must be disclosed and resolved to maintain ethical standards.
Question 5: The legal concept of 'right of publicity' protects an individual's:
- Right to control commercial use of their name, image, or likeness (Correct answer)
- Right to privacy in all public spaces
- Right to refuse media interviews
- Right to accurate news reporting
Correct answer: Right to control commercial use of their name, image, or likeness
The right of publicity gives individuals control over how their identity is used for commercial purposes without consent.
Question 6: A communications manager discovers that internal company data used in a public report was altered by a supervisor. The ethical response is to:
- Report the discrepancy through appropriate channels and refuse to distribute the report (Correct answer)
- Distribute the report to meet the deadline and address it later
- Quietly correct the data without informing anyone
- Follow the supervisor's directive to avoid conflict
Correct answer: Report the discrepancy through appropriate channels and refuse to distribute the report
Distributing knowingly falsified data violates ethical and potentially legal obligations, requiring the communicator to escalate the issue.
Question 7: Under the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines, when must social media influencers disclose a material connection to a brand?
- Always, whenever a material connection exists, regardless of the platform (Correct answer)
- Only when they receive monetary compensation exceeding $500
- Only in written posts, not in videos or stories
- Only when the brand specifically requires it
Correct answer: Always, whenever a material connection exists, regardless of the platform
The FTC requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of any material connection—including free products, payment, or relationships—on all platforms.
CPC Ethics & Legal Considerations in Communication 2
A PR professional learns that a company spokesperson misspoke during a press conference.
What is the most ethical course of action?