Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Mass Communications

Major Professor

Gregory P. Perreault, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Adriana Carneiro, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Christopher Noland, Ph.D.

Keywords

Moral Imagination, Moral Muteness, Moral Myopia, Stigmatized Industries

Abstract

Advertising professionals frequently face ethical challenges in their work, yet the ways they define, recognize, and address these dilemmas remain underexplored. This study examines how practitioners perceive and respond to ethical issues in their work, particularly when it comes to promoting products and services that raise significant public health concerns, such as alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. Drawing on Drumwright and Murphy’s (2004) concepts of Moral Myopia, Moral Muteness, and Moral Imagination, this research investigates how practitioners’ ethical awareness can be shaped by the nature of the product being advertised. Through interviews with industry professionals, the study examines how the ethical reasoning of those who have worked on controversial accounts may differ from that of those who have not.

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