I've always felt that CEOs of large corporations get paid the big bucks not only for the amount and quality of the work that they perform on behalf of the company, but also for the sacrifices they make. Anyone in the public eye will have a difficult time with privacy, and this is now the case for Steve Jobs.
His health has been the subject of many news articles, and there was even an incorrect obituary! Now news has surfaced that he received a liver transplant two months ago.
I find it difficult to understand why this news is only surfacing now. Yes, Steve Jobs is very important to the company, but that fact and news of his health affects the company in positive and negative ways. News of his failing health may cause investors to sell their shares, but don't they deserve to know the truth about what is going on in the company that they are part owner of?
Seems to me that delaying the news was not an ethical move, but perhaps a wise one. Is ethics even a consideration with public relations? I've never wondered that before, think it should be, but highly doubt it.