Includes bibliographical references and index.

Pt. 1. Introductory Issues -- Ch. 1. Why is Persuasion Ethics So Important to All Communication Students Today? How Does this Book Help You Develop Your Own Perspective? / Margaret Duffy and Esther Thorson -- Ch. 2. All Communication Is Persuasive: Exploding the Myth of Objectivity / Margaret Duffy, Esther Thorson and Fred Vultee -- Ch. 3. Advertising Ethics: Applying Theory to Core Issues and Defining Practical Excellence / Lee Wilkins -- Ch. 4. Organizational Crossroads: The Intersection of PR and Advertising Ethics / Marlene Neill and Schauster -- Pt. 2. Criticisms of PR and Advertising Messages -- Ch. 5. Stereotyping in Advertising: We are Not the People in those Pictures / Thomas Bivins -- Ch. 6. The Advertising Milieu and Beauty Advertising / Katherine Frith -- Ch. 7. What do People Really Think about Commercials That Stereotype Women or Glamorize Dangerous Behavior? /
Margaret Duffy and Esther Thorson -- Ch. 8. Negative Political Advertisements: A Primer from the Academic Literature with an Ethical Marketing Commentary / T. J. Weber and Gene R. Laczniak -- Ch. 9. Puffing the Claim / Jef Richards -- Ch. 10. Online Behavioral Advertising and the Ethics of Privacy / Heather Shoenberger -- Ch. 11. The Intersection of Culture and Advertising Ethics in a Global Marketplace / Carrie La Ferle -- Pt. 3. Special Topics -- Ch. 12. Ethical Challenges of Framing in Persuasive Communication, In Words and Pictures / Stephanie Geise and Renita Coleman -- Ch. 13. Seeing and Believing: Issues in Visual Persuasion Ethics / Margaret Duffy and Janis Page -- Ch. 14. Ethics Theory and Application in Public Relations, Advertising and Health Communication / Seow Ting Lee -- Ch. 15. Do the Right Thing: Advertising Law, Self-Regulation and Ethics / Wally Snyder -- Ch. 16. The Minimum and Maximums of Professional Ethics Codes / Chris Roberts -- Ch. 17. What Do Students Think of Business Ethics? Three Decades of Research / Richard F. Beltramini -- Ch. 18. Marbles in the Soup and Crushed Volvos: Ethical Choices on the Advertising Ethics / Battlefield Esther Thorson and Margaret Duffy.

Persuasion Ethics Today explores persuasive communication in the fields of advertising, promotions, public relations and integrated marketing communication, and is designed for course use in advertising curricula.

Ethical questions have become increasingly important in today's media landscape, and issues of regulation, privacy, and convenience are the subjects of heated debate among consumers, industry professional, policy makers, and interest groups. With the explosion of social media, mobile devices, tracking technologies, and behavioral targeting, the ethical issues about persuasion continue to increase in importance.

This book's goal is to offer a broad introduction to the ethical standards, challenges, understanding, and decision-making strategies involved in the practice of persuasion. Persuasion Ethics Today links real world persuasive communication activities to fundamental philosophies of ethics. It also offers tools for students and practitioners to engage with ethical dilemmas in a systematic way, and jumpstart debates about the right ethical choices in an increasingly complex media and social environment.