LESSON 7: The Ethics in Communication

The Ethics in Communication.
Communication is one of the most basic human activities, a process by which we engage ourselves with others for understanding, for cooperation and the accomplishment of variety of goals.

However complex or simple our interactions are, we interfere on each other in multiple ways. We influence each other through communication and recognize that communication is not a neutral activity. We influence each other in positive and negative ways, for good and for bad.

When Communicating, we do not simply choose words, we choose words for the effect they will have on our audiences, on ourselves, and ultimately, on society. Thus when we communicate, we cannot escape ethical questions, questions which ask how helpful or harmful our actions are.

An awareness of the ethical dimensions of communication provides us with a deeper understanding or ourselves and of our potentials as human beings.

THE NATURE OF ETHICS
Ethics refers to the study of morality's effect on conduct: the study of moral standards and how they affect conduct.
It refers to the code of morality: a system of moral principles governing the appropriate conduct for a person or group.

Ethics is the study of what, is the best course of action, the right or wrong of our actions and policies, be those actions communicative, political, social, personal or a mixture of areas.

ETHICS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF COMMUNICATION
Ethical questions are often related to politics. This is because administrators are often faced with questions of truthfulness. When we turn to non political questions, we sometimes think that ethics only focus on issues such as wars or capital punishment. These are certainly significant matters, but the major ethical issues are matters of how to behave in our daily lives and in our relationships with those with whom we have personal contact at home, at school or at work.

Because communication is relational, it brings us face to face with questions that contain ethical judgments. We must decide what is the purpose or purposes of a relationship in which we find ourselves. We must decide how to behave. We must choose how to respond in that situation. Our responses will be based on how we regard the other party or parties and what the consequences of our actions will be. All of these are basic ethical questions in that they involve our deciding what is the “best” course of action.

Ethical Communication is therefore important because.
a. It helps to determine how to behave in our daily lives.
b. it helps to shape our relationship with others
c. it helps to determine the purpose of the relationship we find ourselves.
d. it helps us to consider the consequence of our actions.
e. It helps us to decide the best course of action.


GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
To make the best decision in our communication, and to communicate ethically, we must give thought to the manner in which we communicate. Rules are applied to different communication situations in which we find ourselves. These situations are vast and varying and the following guidelines can help to make ethical communications.

1. Be respectful to your audience
2. Consider the consequence of your communication
3. Respect the truth
4. Use Information Properly ( Adequate and Accurate)
5. Don’t falsify Information
6. Respect the rights of others to information.