Communication Ethics: Three Key Elements and Principles

Communication Ethics

• Originate from Aristotle's concept of ethos, which refers to the communicator's good character and reputation for doing what is right.
• A system of moral principles that govern all forms of human interactions, including the resulting behaviors in everyday life.

Three Key Elements of Ethical Communication

• The Ends: what one hopes to achieve during the communication.
• The Means: how one chooses to communicate.
• The Consequences: the "real-world" outcomes of communication.

Ethics of Communication

• Be honest.
• Maintain personal integrity.
• Be open-minded.
• Stay committed.
• Practice active listening.
• Be respectful.
• Be accountable.

Principles of Communication

• Communication can take place between people only to the extent that they share similar experiences.
• The more similar the experiences they share, the wider is the common field of experience (CFE), and the greater is the likelihood that they communicate effectively.
• If the CFE is narrow, then understanding or communication that can take place is limited and may not be effective as expected.

Principles of Effective Communication

• Know your audience.
• Be prepared.
• Know your purpose.
• Be objective.
• Be complete.
• Be concise.
• Be clear.
• Be coherent.
• Be careful in judgment.
• Be creative.
• Be respectful to authority.
• Observe communication ethics.

Morals vs. Ethics

• Morals are driven by a desire to be good, and vary depending on culture.
• Ethics is the study of values and morals of what is right and wrong.

Intercultural Communication

• Communication that occurs in verbal and nonverbal ways to promote understanding and goodwill between and among cultural communities/nations.

Developmental Communication

• Communication that occurs between progressive nations and developing societies of the world in order to facilitate the total development of individuals and nations.

Additional Ethical Considerations

• Mutuality: pay attention to the needs of others as well as yours.
• Individual Dignity: do not cause another person embarrassment or a loss of dignity.
• Accuracy: ensure that others have accurate information.
• Access to Information: never bolster the impact of your communication by preventing people from communicating with one another or by hindering access to the supporting information.
• Accountability: be responsible and accountable for the consequences of your communication.
• Relative Truth: remember that your point of view may not be shared by others and that your conclusions are relative to your perspective.
• Power: have more responsibility for the outcome in situations where you have more power than others.
• Confidentiality: keep another person or entity's information private.
• Fake News: avoid spreading deliberate disinformation or hoaxes via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media.
• Plagiarism: avoid taking else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.
• Offensive Messages: avoid messages that can come off as offensive because of references to age, gender, race, income level, background, or educational level.