Speaking for the institution: The role of ethical rhetorical public relations in organizational legitimacy

This study examined how ethical rhetorical public relations is operationalized in practice and how it shapes institutional legitimacy by centering rhetorical citizenship, fairness, and agonism as guiding ethical principles. Rather than viewing public relations solely as a persuasive tool, a rhetorical perspective frames it as a discursive practice that recognizes power, conflict, and the negotiation of meaning, engages stakeholders, and navigates complex ethical challenges. Drawing on Ihlen & Heath’s (2019) argument, which positions ethics as fundamentally inseparable from public relations practice when understood as organizational rhetoric, this research uses interviews with senior leaders ( N = 10) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoos in the United States as an exemplary site of study. With complex histories and operations, these institutions operate at the intersection of conservation, research, education, and entertainment, making them ethically complex, public-facing organizations. Findings reveal that care emerged as a central ethical principle, extending ethical rhetorical approaches into a relational-based practice. Leaders engaged in ethical communication to reinforce institutional legitimacy, using transparency and responsiveness to navigate critique and articulate their contemporary mission. Organizational change was also framed as an ethical process centered on identity and historical accountability. However, pragmatic limitations, such as political sensitivities, reputational risks, and resource limitations, shaped the boundaries of practice. This study contributes to the growing scholarship on rhetorical public relations by illustrating how ethically complex institutions negotiate ethics, legitimacy, and institutional realities through strategic communication.