Transcript ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

ETHICS IN
COMMUNICATION
The first means of persuasion discussed by Aristotle is
"Ethos," or ethical proof. Sometimes described as persuasion
by the moral force and character of the speaker or "Character"
of the speaker as perceived by the listener. Modern studies of
ethos have very often focused on four components of
credibility; Expertness, trustworthiness, dynamism, and
sometimes sociability.
TEACHING ETHICAL REASONING
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We teach ethical reasoning by:
Moralizing
Laissez-faire
Modeling
Values-clarification.
Valuing, according to Louis Raths:
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PRIZING one's beliefs and behaviors
1. Prizing and cherishing
2. Publicly affirming, when appropriate
Valuing, according to Louis Raths:
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CHOOSING one's beliefs and behaviors
3. Choosing from alternatives
4. Choosing after consideration of
consequences
5. Choosing freely
Valuing, according to Louis Raths:
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ACTING on one's beliefs
6. Acting
7. Acting with a pattern, consistency and
repetition
WHY ETHICAL DECISIONS ARE
DIFFICULT
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Close Call
New Problem
Conflicting Policies
Multiple Consultation
High Personal Cost
Outdated Policy or Procedure.
COMMUNICATING ETHICAL
VALUES
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Key words or stories
Key decisions
Responses to letters and Questions
Written Philosophy
Code of Conduct
Policy statements
Performance evaluations systems
Rewards and penalties
Promotions
Education and training
Personal example
ETHICAL REASONING
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Benefit-Harm Analysis; Does the good done
to all parties by the present situation or by the
proposed action outweigh the bad. (Ultimate
Kindness)
ETHICAL REASONING
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Rights and Principles Analysis: Does the
present situation or proposed action respect
the legitimate civil, human and contractual
rights of all parties affected?
ETHICAL REASONING
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Social Justice Analysis: Is the present
situation or proposed action "fair" to all
parties affected. If it treats people differently,
is there a legitimate reason for treating them
differently?
ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
PROCESS
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ANALYSIS
What are the facts?
Who is responsible to act?
What are the consequences of action?
What and whose rights are involved?
What is fair treatment in this case?
ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
PROCESS
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SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT
What solutions are available to me?
Have I considered all of the creative
solutions, which might permit me to reduce
harms, maximize benefits, respect more
rights or be fair to more parties.
ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
PROCESS
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SELECTING THE OPTIMUM SOLUTION
What are the potential consequences of my
solutions?
Which of the options I have considered does
the most to maximize benefits, reduce harms,
respect rights and increase fairness?
Are all parties treated fairly in my proposed
decisions?
ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
PROCESS
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IMPLEMENTATION
Who should be consulted and informed?
What actions will assure that my decision
achieves its intended outcome?
ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
PROCESS
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FOLLOW-UP
Was the decision implemented correctly?
Did the decision maximize benefits, reduce
harms, respect rights and treat all parties
fairly?
INTERCULTURAL ETHICAL
DILEMMAS Lustig & Koester
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When in Rome...
To what degree do you adapt to a host culture?
Are Cultural Values Relative or Universal?
Is it ever acceptable to judge the people of a culture
when their behaviors are based on a radically
different set of beliefs, values, and norms?
Do the Ends Justify the Means?
Should all intercultural contacts be encouraged?
SOURCES FOR ETHICAL
GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen
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The Individual as a Source; Howard Martin:
Imperative of self-interest.
SOURCES FOR ETHICAL
GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen
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The Social Context as a Source; Suggests
that universal, exact, and unchanging moral
laws, while possibly desirable, simply do not
operate in real life because of numerous
qualifications and reservations. Situational
Ethics.
SOURCES FOR ETHICAL
GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen
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The Nation as a Source; It is asserted that
the ideals of one's nation ought to be the
source from which a speaker acquires a
useful system of ethical guidelines.
SOURCES FOR ETHICAL
GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen
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Universal Religious Ideals as a Source;
Religious heritage as a source of ethical
guidelines.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Communicators ought to be honest.
The Truth Standard.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Accuracy
Citing something out of context.
Quoting out of time context.
Distorting by going beyond the facts.
To link a person or idea or product with
another person, idea, or product many induce
unwarranted deprecation or prestige.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Completeness
You should be completely open with your
audience about the sources of your
information, your purposes, and your
affiliations.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Authorship; "This is not something I have
created all by myself" but, "This is what I
believe, this is what I shall take responsibility
for."
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Relevance
You should not include irrelevant material
purposely to deceive, mislead, or distract the
audience. "Ad hominem" technique.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Openness
Since a basic cornerstone in democracy is
the people's "right to know" all necessary
information needed to make intelligent
decisions, any specific audience is thus
entitled to a balanced and objective
presentation.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Understandability
Ethical speakers have an obligation toward
their audience to make their material
understandable.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Reason
Many who have written on the importance of
ethics in communication have emphasized
logos should have precedence over ethos.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Social Utility
Brembeck and Howell, leading advocates of
social utility as a basic value, have defined it
as "usefulness to the people affected."
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
J. Vernon Jensen
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Benevolence
Respecting the dignity of each individual in
your audience, you should exhibit a high
degree of tactfulness, for no one has the right
to intentionally or unnecessarily hurt another
person by words, any more than by physical
means.
Albert Schweitzer
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"Let me give you a definition of ethics: It is
good to maintain life and further life; it is bad
to damage and destroy life ... Ethics is the
maintaining of life at the highest point of
development -- my own life and other life -by devoting myself to it in help and love, and
both these things are connected."