Communication Ethics (continues...)

Communication Ethics continues...

Factors Influencing Ethical Communication

Influences to ethical behavior may be categorized into 2: ethical aspects and ethical context.

Ethical aspects consider the complexities in the communication process that discerns what to disclose and what not to disclose thus, facing 3 simple choices: to speak, to listen, or to remain silent. Another decisive factor in determining the ethical nature of communication is timing. Information disclosed at one point may be considered unethical in another period of time (Strike and Moss, 2008). For example, discussing about the contents of a departmental exam in public places may be overheard by other students who are yet to take it. This is how test leakages develop. Mode of communication add another layer of complexity to the ethical dimension. Messages may be communicated orally, in writing, or through body language. Whatever the mode is, the ethical elements must be a guiding principle when sending information. For instance, while it is ethical to inform your professor of your absence due to sickness, a curt (brusque or maybe bluff) text message replete full with emoticons and abbreviated words in slang is not appropriate.

Remaining silent might seem like the safest way to avoid ethical dilemmas. Like what mothers say, “If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything.” However, remaining silent, although it may signal consent or tacit (unexpressed) agreement, may be construed as defiance. It especially presents a serious ethical decision in the face of unlawful behavior or a potentially harmful situation.

Meanwhile, the ethical nature of communication must be considered within the context of who, what, when and where. It is important to know who is speaking, to whom, what, and where.

Suppose fellow employees discussed a project they were working on. This may seem perfectly ethical on the surface. After all, such discussions actually foster effective interdepartmental relationships; a worthy goal indeed. The problem may be that the discussion took place in a crowded restaurant and a competitor overheard the conversation. When the employees are confronted, they may reply, “What did we say wrong? We were not talking to a competitor.” But this is of course, the wrong question. The issue does not concern what was said or even who they were talking to. The ethical issue revolves around where the conversation took place. Herein lies the complexity of ethical issues-evaluations must be made more than one dimension.

Ethical communicators are not concerned with just who or what or where or when, but with all four dimensions simultaneously.

All these dimensions should be dealt with together so as to constitute ethical communication. To avoid unethical communication, be heedful not to fall on the ethical dilemma traps.

Ethical Dilemmas in Communication and How to Handle Them

A deterrent to ethical speech are called communication dilemmas. These can be common ones such as gossip, rumor, and lying, or less familiar and more specific such as:

Plagiarism. This is defined as the act of presenting another author’s work and claiming it your own. Although there is nothing wrong with quoting a person, “copying and pasting” passages without citing the source is considered fraud and therefore illegal and unethical.

Selective misquoting. The Cambridge dictionary defines misquoting as the repetition of something someone has said in a way that is not accurate. Unlike plagiarism, selective misquoting is deliberately misrepresenting and altering the meaning of someone’s work by taking it out of context. To a larger extent, essential information is omitted to fabricate a better but false picture of an individual or an institution.

Misrepresenting numbers. This is the unethical manipulation of data by increasing, decreasing, altering statistics or omitting data. A case in point is the Philippine senator who came under fire after presenting suspicious data  showing a drastic drop of murder cases in the Philippines in 2016. The senator’s presentation did not cover similar time periods. The data he plotted from 2010 all covered full years while 2016 covered only 216 days. The senator’s graph also significantly differs from the Philippine National Police’s record of crimes in 2016.

Distorting visuals. Have you ever been disappointed after ordering a certain item on the menu because they look much bigger on the photo? This is a business strategy the populace does not agree to. Visuals are distorted by making a product look bigger/smaller to bait customers.

Many communicators go through several predicaments in putting across the meaning of their speech. An ethical dilemma occurs when there is conflict between two important values. This sometimes happens because sender and receiver of the message share a relationship that makes it difficult to convey vital information for personal or professional reasons.

In a 1995 essay, David Finn asked if his public relations firm was right to represent the coal-burning plants industry after they urged the US Congress not to take action until further study could be made about reports of acid rain in the northeast that was thought to be caused by the coal-burning plants in the Midwest. Opponents believed this was the industry’s stalling tactic. Finn argues that public relations people are so well-trained to see different sides of the issue that it is often hard for them to decide where they stand.

To shed light on dealing with ethical dilemmas, experts weigh in on how to resolve them. One way is to focus on the importance of the information to be conveyed rather than the person or group to whom it is conveyed. Another alternative is to distinguish clearly between personal emotions and professional conduct. The rule of thumb is to choose the lesser evil. Resolving an ethical dilemma calls for creative thinking to determine available alternatives. If the information is vital, and professional conduct calls for sharing it, the sender is obliged to set aside all other consideration and convey the message.

Finn writes:

The best advice I can offer is to be sensitive, be concerned about others, be troubled by the difficulty of arriving at a decision when you are faced with an ethical dilemma. But don't give in to the temptation of having no convictions. When possible, ask the advice of someone who is not affected by the practical considerations that influence your judgment-money or career advancement or pressure from someone you want to believe is right. Consider the importance of your name, your reputation, and what others whom you admire will think of what you are doing. Make every effort to be true to yourself.

Unethical communication threatens the quality of all communication and consequently the well-being of individuals and the society in which we live.

Much of the unfortunate events we read about in the paper is caused by people who do not have a moral compass. These are people who failed to remember that to act ethically is, at the very least, to strive to act in ways that do not hurt other people; that respect their dignity, individuality, and uniquely moral value; and that treat others as equally important as oneself (Pfeiffer and Forsberg, 1993).

Stop and Review. Directions: Answer the following briefly and concisely.

1.       What are the main areas of concern in communication ethics?

2.       Explain the ethics, or lack thereof, surrounding “fake news”.

3.       What are some of the classic principles that people apply to issues that arise in communication ethics?

4.       What are the ethical dilemmas in communication? Site real-life examples of which and explain how they can be handled.

5.       What are the main ethical responsibilities in communication?

6.       Do you think David Finn’s firm was right to represent the coal-burning plan industry? Support your answer.