ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

1. 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.

2. TEACHING ETHICAL REASONING • We teach ethical reasoning by: • Moralizing • Laissez-faire • Modeling • Values-clarification.

3. Valuing, according to Louis Raths: • PRIZING one's beliefs and behaviors • 1. Prizing and cherishing • 2. Publicly affirming, when appropriate

4. Valuing, according to Louis Raths: • CHOOSING one's beliefs and behaviors • 3. Choosing from alternatives • 4. Choosing after consideration of consequences • 5. Choosing freely

5. Valuing, according to Louis Raths: • ACTING on one's beliefs • 6. Acting • 7. Acting with a pattern, consistency and repetition

6. WHY ETHICAL DECISIONS ARE DIFFICULT • Close Call • New Problem • Conflicting Policies • Multiple Consultation • High Personal Cost • Outdated Policy or Procedure.

7. COMMUNICATING ETHICAL VALUES • 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

8. ETHICAL REASONING • Benefit-Harm Analysis; Does the good done to all parties by the present situation or by the proposed action outweigh the bad. (Ultimate Kindness)

9. ETHICAL REASONING • Rights and Principles Analysis: Does the present situation or proposed action respect the legitimate civil, human and contractual rights of all parties affected?

10. ETHICAL REASONING • 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?

11. ETHICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS • 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?

12. ETHICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS • 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.

13. ETHICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS • 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?

14. ETHICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS • IMPLEMENTATION • Who should be consulted and informed? • What actions will assure that my decision achieves its intended outcome?

15. ETHICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS • FOLLOW-UP • Was the decision implemented correctly? • Did the decision maximize benefits, reduce harms, respect rights and treat all parties fairly?

16. INTERCULTURAL ETHICAL DILEMMAS Lustig & Koester • 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?

17. SOURCES FOR ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • The Individual as a Source; Howard Martin: Imperative of self-interest.

18. SOURCES FOR ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • 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.

19. SOURCES FOR ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • 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.

20. SOURCES FOR ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • Universal Religious Ideals as a Source; Religious heritage as a source of ethical guidelines.

21. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • Communicators ought to be honest. • The Truth Standard.

22. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • 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.

23. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • Completeness • You should be completely open with your audience about the sources of your information, your purposes, and your affiliations.

24. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • 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."

25. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • Relevance • You should not include irrelevant material purposely to deceive, mislead, or distract the audience. "Ad hominem" technique.

26. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • 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.

27. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • Understandability • Ethical speakers have an obligation toward their audience to make their material understandable.

28. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • Reason • Many who have written on the importance of ethics in communication have emphasized logos should have precedence over ethos.

29. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • Social Utility • Brembeck and Howell, leading advocates of social utility as a basic value, have defined it as "usefulness to the people affected."

30. ETHICAL GUIDELINES J. Vernon Jensen • 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.

31. Albert Schweitzer • "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."