Communication Skills DCS-

115
Lecture Notes

Billbrain Institute of Technology

Year: 1 - Semester: 1
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication

What are legal and ethical issues?

Legality means an act is in accordance with the
law. Ethics is about concepts of right and wrong
behaviour. Some actions may be legal but in some
people's opinion not ethical. For example, testing
medicines on animals is legal in many countries but
some people believe it is not ethical.
While ethical issues are based on the difference
between right and wrong, legal issues are based on
laws. Many laws are created with ethical issues in mind
in order to protect individual rights and freedoms. On the
other hand, there are laws that can be used in unethical
ways
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication
The 10 Basics of Ethical Communication
 
I invite you to consider these basics as ideals — ideals,
in the sense that we all fall short of meeting these at
some times, and yet we can continue to improve. One of
the goals of belonging to an Ethical Society is to get
support for learning to live more in accord with our
ideals!

-Seek to “elicit the best” in communications and

interactions with other group members.
-Listen when others speak.
-Speak non-judgmentally.
-Speak from your own experience and perspective,
expressing your own thoughts, needs, and feelings.
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication

-Seek to understand others (rather than to be “right” or

“more ethical than thou”).
-Avoid speaking for others, for example by
characterizing what others have said without checking
your understanding, or by universalizing your opinions,
beliefs, values, and conclusions, assuming everyone
shares them.
-Manage your own personal boundaries: share only
what you are comfortable sharing.
-Respect the personal boundaries of others.
-Avoid interrupting and side conversations.
-Make sure that everyone has time to speak, that all
members have relatively equal “air time” if they want it.
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication
The Violations of Ethical Communication – the legal
perspective
 
Legal Violations
While the concept of ethics generally relates to a
person's responsibility to communicate fairly, without
bias and with respect to those affected by the
communication, violations of ethics in communications
can become legal violations. Breaching confidentiality or
purposely communicating lies about a person or an
organization, for example, can be considered a legal
issue as well as an ethical issue. Legal violations of
communications, such as slander, can result in
sanctions by governing bodies or criminal ramifications.
 
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication

Truthfulness
Sometimes, an untruthful piece of communication is just
an oversight. However, not checking facts is a violation
of ethics, particularly when communicating information
about a product, competitor, customer or employee, into
the piece of communication. A lack of fact-checking
shows a lack of responsibility to verify information that is
being communicated. If the information might prove
detrimental to the subject, the communicator has an
obligation to make certain the information is accurate.
For example, stating that a competitor uses a
substandard material in his product without verifying the
information violates ethics and may result in legal
consequences.
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication

Confidentiality
Relaying information that was provided in confidence or
that was overheard in someone else's conversations is
a violation of communication ethics. The act of
spreading rumors is degrading to a small business
owner who needs to earn the trust and respect of his
employees and customers to be successful. In addition,
some breaches of confidentiality can also carry legal
consequences. Many contracts are written with
confidentiality clauses.
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication

Offensive Messages
Communication that is offensive to the receiver or to
anyone affected by the information contained in the
message violates ethical communication guidelines. The
communication may offend others because of
references to race, gender, income level, background or
education level. Stories and jokes are prime examples
of communication that have the potential to offend the
recipients. Any topic to which others may be sensitive
should be avoided in business communication, including
religion and political issues, to avoid offending others
and possibly committing a violation of communications
ethics.
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication
What role does ethics play in communication?
 Ethical communication is fundamental to thoughtful
decision-making and responsible thinking. 
 
Ethical communication helps in accepting responsibility
for the messages you convey to others and the short-
term or long-term consequences of
your communication.
 
In communication, ethics work to enhance credibility,
improve the decision-making process and allow for trust
between the two parties. 
Ethics provide the groundwork for right and wrong,
allowing two parties to communicate with a basic
understanding of what is expected.
 Legal & Ethical Issues in
Communication

Guiding questions
Define legal and ethical issues in communication
Explain the violations of ethical communication
What are the 10 basics of ethical communication?
What role does ethics play in communication?
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OF
TOPIC