Ethical considerations for conservation messaging research and practice

Abstract

Conservation professionals are familiar with value-driven research and practice. However, recent efforts to use strategic communication, specifically conservation messaging, to affect targeted behaviour change or influence values and attitudes towards conservation introduce new ethical dilemmas that conservation professionals may not have considered or are ill-equipped to deal with. Drawing from strategic communication theory and professional guidelines, including from public relations, social marketing, advocacy, and the social sciences more broadly, we provide a framework and discuss important ethical considerations for conservation messaging. The considerations discussed include those tha..