COMMUNICATION ETHICS
HANNAH MAY D. DELA CRUZ
COMMUNICATION
ETHICS
COMMUNICATION
is the act of conveying meanings from
one entity or group to another through
the use of mutually understood signs
and semiotic rules.
ETHICS
Is a set of moral principles; deals with
values relating to human conduct, with
respect to the rightness and wrongness of
certain actions and to the goodness and
badness of the motives and ends of such
actions.
COMMUNICATION ETHICS
The principle governing communication,
the right and wrong aspects of it, the
moral-immoral dimensions relevant to
interpersonal communication.
COMMUNICATION ETHICS
The principle of honesty on both sides
should be completely applied because
any amount of insincerity from either
the listener or the speaker would not
be prudent.
COMMUNICATION ETHICS
Generally speaking, communication
ethics deals with the moral good
present in any form of human
communication.
FUNDAMENTALS OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Responsible thinking
Decision making
Development of relationships and
communities
Contexts
Cultures
Channels
Media
PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Advocate truthfulness, accuracy,
and honesty.
Endorse freedom of expression and
the diversity of perspective.
Understand and respect other
communicators before evaluating
and responding to their messages.
PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Promote a caring and mutual
understanding ambiance for the
unique characteristics of individual
communicators.
Condemn communication that
degrades individuals and humanity.
PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Being committed to the courageous
expression of personal convictions in
pursuit of fairness and justice.
Advocate sharing information,
opinions, and feelings when facing
significant choices while also
respecting privacy and
confidentiality.
PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Accept responsibility for the short-
and long term consequences for our
own communication.
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
ETHICS
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Simply refers to communication with
another person.
This kind of communication is
subdivided into three.
DYADIC PUBLIC SMALL-GROUP
COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
1 2 3
Communication Communication Communication
between two with a large among three or
people. group of more people.
people or
audience.
INTERPERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Begins with each person’s commitment to active care for the
interpersonal relationship, owned by neither and nurtured with
or without the support of the Other.
Involves:
• Caring
• Sympathy
• Empathy
DISTANCE
The importance of distance keeps us from equating
interpersonal communication with ever more closeness.
Our personal space protects us from too much arousal
and helps us feel comfortable when we communicate
with other people.
FOUR PRINCIPLES OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
INESCAPABLE
Psychological Context
IRREVERSIBLE Relational Context
Situational Context
COMPLICATED
Environmental Context
Cultural Context
CONTEXTUAL
FUNCTIONS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Gaining Information
Building a Context of Understanding
Establishing Identity
Interpersonal Needs
Inclusion
Control
Affection
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
A principle that supports the freedom of an
individual or a community to articulate their
opinions and ideas without fear of
retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction.
This includes any act of seeking, receiving, and
imparting information or ideas, regardless of
the medium used.
ETHICAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Freedom of Expression must be balanced
against society’s need to maintain order, protect
general welfare and public morality.
Limits: when it involves harm to others.
It can become emotionally damaging, socially
marginalizing and descend into hate speech.
Speech causing ‘indirect’ harms should also be
restricted.
MASS COMMUNICATION
Refers to the imparting and exchanging of information on a large
scale to a wide range of people at the same time.
Uses: Newspaper, Magazines, Radio, TV, Internet, etc.
MASS COMMUNICATION ETHICS
•Truth
•Censorship
•Laws
•Privacy
•Appropriateness
•Sensitivity to other cultures
•Respect dignity, privacy, and well being of a
person
ETHICAL
FRAMEWORKS
DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS
The most frequented basis of our decision making process,
expressing a commitment to the most basic principles.
It is regarded as universal, always applicable whatever
the circumstance is.
We follow these rules since we think of them as duties.
UTILITARIAN ETHICS
The best action is one that leads to the
greatest amount of happiness and the smallest
amount of unhappiness. Using a utilitarian
approach, each situation and possible course of
action has to be considered afresh; there are
no absolute rules.
Focuses on the results and whether or not it
would benefit the majority.
Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of
each action or decision
VIRTUE ETHICS
Virtue ethics is person rather than action based
Virtue ethics not only deals with the rightness or wrongness of
individual actions
Concerned with the whole of a person's life, rather than particular
episodes or actions.
SITUATIONAL/CONTEXTUAL ETHICS
There is no absolute approach to situations,
each situation should be addressed as
different from each other.
There are no universal moral rules or rights -
each case is unique and deserves a unique
solution.
Every problem should be evaluated in its
particular context or situation.
UNETHICAL
COMMUNICATION
UNETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Unethical behavior is an action that
falls outside of what is considered
morally right or proper for a
person, a profession or an industry.
It threatens the quality of all
communication and consequently the
well-being of individuals and the
society
Individuals can behave unethically,
as can businesses, professionals and
politicians.
UNETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Examples:
• Plagiarism - to present as new
and original an idea or product
derived from an existing source
• Cheating - to act in a way that
is dishonest, or to make
someone believe something that is
not true in order to get something
for yourself
• Lying – telling of lies, false
statements; untruthfulness
