Communication Ethics

It is important to understand that whatever we communicate should be guided by certain ethical

principles. The US National Communication Association (NCA, 1999) discusses this in their Credo for
Ethical Communication.

NCA Credo for Ethical Communication

(approved by the NCA Legislative Council, November 1999)

Questions of right and wrong arise whenever people communicate. Ethical

communication is fundamental to responsible thinking, decision making, and the
development of relationships and communities within and across contexts, cultures,
channels, and media. Moreover, ethical communication enhances human worth and
dignity by fostering truthfulness, fairness, responsibility, personal integrity, and respect
for self and others. We believe that unethical communication threatens the quality of all
communication and consequently the well-being of individuals and the society in which
we live. Therefore we, the members of the National Communication Association,
endorse and are committed to practicing the following principles of ethical
communication:

We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential to the integrity of

communication.

We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent to

achieve the informed and responsible decision making fundamental to a civil society.

We strive to understand and respect other communicators before evaluating and

responding to their messages.

We promote access to communication resources and opportunities as necessary to fulfill

human potential and contribute to the well-being of families, communities, and society.

Every time we communicate, we should consider the consequences of our actions. If people were
more responsible in their use of communication, there would be less conflict in this world. Even though
the four principles above are short and concise, they are important because they help us discern the
difference between ethical and unethical communicators.

SCQ. 1.2
Directions: Answer the following questions.
1. Why is it important to be ethical in communicating today?
2. Is honesty still a virtue valued today? Why or why not?
3. When you think of politicians today, would you say that they have been communicating in an
ethical manner?
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GLOBALIZATION

Globalization has affected us in many ways. Airfare has become cheaper, and one can travel
internationally more than one could in the past. Many Filipinos have decided to work or live abroad, with
some of them migrating to other countries. The free trade of goods and services all over the world has
brought multinational companies and foreign investors to our shores. Because of all these factors, it is
imperative to be aware of the differences between our culture and the rest of the world’s cultures.

Because of the advent of the Internet, the world seems to be shrinking continually. One can
communicate internationally in a matter of seconds, whether one is sending an email, chatting in social
media, or sending a text message. One can read about different cultures, and have access to films,
academic papers, and the like from countries around the world, and vice versa. Given this increasingly
shrinking world, one should know the difference between the kind of English that we write and speak,
and the kind of Englishes that exist outside of the Philippines.

World Englishes
The term World Englishes refers to the differences in the English language that emerge as it is used in
various contexts across the world. Scholars of World Englishes identify the varieties of English used in
different sociolinguistic contexts, analyzing their history, background, function, and influence.

What is Standard English?

Standard English is the language used in most public discourse and in the regular operation of
American social institutions. The news media, the government, the legal profession, and the teachers in
our schools and universities all view Standard English as their proper mode of communication, primarily
in expository and argumentative writing, but also in public speaking.
 "Standard English is not entirely uniform around the globe: for example, American users of
standard English say the first floor and I've just gotten a letter and write center and color, while British
users say ground floor and I've just got a letter and write centre and colour.

Thus, two English speakers-one from the US and the other from the UK-may become confused
when encountering the other’s unfamiliar accent and word choices in a conservation and when seeing
different spelling and punctuation convention in writing.

Philippine English, as well, has its unique and idiosyncratic usages.

For example, “comfort room” is a Philippine term for “washroom”,” toilet”, or lavatory.” When
Filipinos say, “There’s traffic,” they mean “There’s heavy traffic. Moreover, the word “salvage” in the
Philippine context can mean either “to save” or “to brutally murder, usually for political reasons.”