TOPIC 2: ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

A. RULES OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

• Digital communication is an interaction

carried out by using information
communication technology, such as
mobile phones, computers, or the
Internet
• Can be synchronous or asynchronous
 SOME PROS & CONS OF
DIGITAL COMMUNICATION
PROS CONS

• Instant • Misinterpretation of meaning

• Speedy due to the missing (or curated)
nonverbals
• Convenient
• Issue on confidentiality & trust
• Far-reaching
• Bullying & ridiculing
• _________
• _________
• _________
• _________
 S U M M A RY O F T H E R U L E S O R N E T I Q U E T T E F O R O N L I N E B E H AV I O R A N D / O R F O R
D I G I TA L S O C I A L I N T E R A C T I O N
(BY VIRGINIA SHEA WHO WROTE THE BOOK NETIQUETTE IN 1994)
H T T P : / / W W W. A L B I O N . C O M / N E T I Q U E T T E / C O R E R U L E S . H T M L

1. Remember the human.

2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
3. Know where you are in cyberspace.
4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth.
5. Make yourself look good online.
6. Share expert knowledge.
7. Help keep flame wars under control.
8. Respect other people's privacy.
9. Don't abuse your power.
10.Be forgiving of other people's mistakes.
 S TOP & T HIN K.
WHIC H O F T HE S E S E NT E NC E S F OL L O W S O R N E G L E CT S A N E T I QU E T T E
RULE?

1. Writing this text message: WHERE ARE YOU?

2. Refraining from forwarding an email even if the author of the
message hasn’t marked it as confidential
3. Forwarding spam emails to your friends
4. Including a subject line in your emails
5. Creating a social-media post about your strong aversion to certain
issues such as the reinstatement of mandatory ROTC
6. Posting information on how to cope with homesickness
B. GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN
ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
 Questions about right and wrong arise whenever
people communicate personally, offline, or online.
 WHAT IS ETHICS?

• Pertains to a set of principles or rules for

correct conduct as to what is right or
wrong and what makes something right
or wrong (PC book)
• The study of values and morals of what is
right and wrong (Sage 2009)
 WHAT IS ETHICAL COMMUNICATION?

•In brief, ethical communication

follows certain established
principles or rules of conduct.
 WHAT IS ETHICAL COMMUNICATION?

•  Ethical communication encompasses being

honest in all communications, keeping
confidential information confidential, and
not discussing the personal or business
situations of others in public or in front of
a third party.
 WHO IS AN ETHICAL COMMUNICATOR?

•One who practices truthfulness,

honesty, and accuracy in his/her
communications
 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

1. Strive to understand and respect others’ communications before evaluating and responding
to their messages.
2. Help promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding that protect the
unique needs and characteristics of individual communicators.
3. Condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through distortions,
intolerance, intimidation, coercion, hatred, or violence.
4. Commit yourself to the courageous expression of your personal convictions in pursuit of
fairness and justice.
5. Accept responsibility for the short-term and long-term consequences of your own
communication and expect the same from others.
6. Avoid plagiarism—the presentation of the work of another person in such a way as to give
the impression that the other’s work is your own.
7. Promote honesty, truthfulness, and accuracy as essentials to the integrity of communication.
(Note: Nos. 1-6 are laid down by the National Communication Association (NCA), an organization of American teachers of public
speakers; No. 7 is echoed by Julia Wood (2014), a scholar and professor of communication and gender.)
STOP & THINK. ANALYZING SCENARIOS

•Read each scenario and identify the

ethical principle neglected or upheld
by either of the individuals involved.
Explain your choice.
 SCENARIO 1

Sometime in September 2012, Sen. Vicente

Sotto was accused of copying from someone
else a part of his privilege speech against the
RH bill. A social media user called him out
and accused him of translating parts of a
speech originally delivered by the late US
senator, Robert Kennedy.
Sought for comment, Sotto laughed off
allegations he merely translated Kennedy's
speech to Filipino without attribution. 
Sotto said he wasn't aware the passage came
from Kennedy. He said a friend texted him the
passage, and finding it beautiful, he had it
translated and included it in his speech.
Source: Malig, J. (2012, September 5). Sotto's new RH speech copied from Kennedy? Retrieved from
http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/09/05/12/sottos-last-speech-copied-kennedy
 SCENARIO 2

Upon reading a notice that says, “TO THE

HANDICAPPED PERSONS”, you advised
the office responsible for posting the sign to
change or remove it.
 SCENARIO 3

You raised your voice to a public servant who

was ignoring your transaction five minutes
before lunch break. The public servant
requested you to calm down for she was just
about to attend to your request. After the
transaction, you apologized for your earlier
outburst.
 SCENARIO 4

In a public forum, you openly but

politely addressed an attendee / a
participant who catcalled a female
speaker.
 SCENARIO 5

You have called out a vlogger and

government official by writing a
comment correcting his/her erroneous
and fake Facebook post. Your comment
has been ignored.
 SCENARIO 6

Before starting a discussion in a group,

you as the facilitator reminded everyone
to respect each other’s similar and/or
opposing views.
 SOURCES

• PC book
• What is ethical communication? (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://ethiccomm.weebly.com/ethical-communication.html
• Mayhew, R. (2018, June 11) What are key principles of ethical
communication? Retrieved from
https://bizfluent.com/info-8406730-key-principles-ethical-communicatio
n.html
• Ethical communication (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/define-ethics-explain-what-
ethical-communicat-395236