Rock Ethics Institute to host event on ethics in political communication

New media technologies, the spread of misinformation and the pressures of campaigns all create challenges to ethical communication in politics. A panel of leading scholars in communication, political science and rhetoric will examine these challenges and potential strategies for navigating them, as they explore what ethical communication in politics means in today’s media environment.

This virtual event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27. Those interested in attending should register beforehand.

The panel will include Peter Loge, associate professor of media and public affairs at the George Washington University. After a long career directing and serving as an adviser of communications for a wide range of different political campaigns and officials, Loge launched the Project on Ethics in Political Communication.

This project aims to encourage students, scholars and practitioners to reflect on what ethical obligations political communication professionals have. Building off this work, Loge edited the book “Political Communication Ethics: Theory and Practice,” recently published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Joining Loge on the panel will be two experts on ethics, communication and politics at Penn State: Patrick Plaisance, the Don W. Davis professor of ethics in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications; and Mary Stuckey, Sparks professor of communication arts and sciences.

Plaisance worked for nearly 15 years as a newspaper journalist before turning to an academic career, in which he studies the ethical values and other considerations that influence media professionals. Stuckey is a leading scholar on presidential rhetoric, who is the author, editor, or co-editor of dozen books.

Erin Heidt-Forsythe, associate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and political science and associate director of the Rock Ethics Institute, will moderate the panel.

The Rock Ethics Institute and McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State are sponsoring the event. All are welcome to attend. Attendees must register beforehand. Please contact Rock Ethics Institute assistant director Ben Jones at btj7@psu.edu if you have any questions about the event.

The Rock Ethics Institute was established in 2001 through a $5 million gift from Doug and Julie Rock. Its mission is to promote engaged ethics research and ethical leadership from its home in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts.