Ethics Works Both Ways

Being ethical is a major part of communication. A person with credibility is one who is respected and who generally has the "ear" of their audience and those with whom they interact. For those perceived to be dishonest either because they lie or twist facts, however, their success rate in connecting with others in any kind of meaningful way is usually, at best, short lived. Such an observation illustrates how often many of us - myself included - view communication ethics: by shining the spotlight on the sender or initiator of a message. When a communique occurs, we ask: Is that person a liar or a teller of truth?  

While this is a valid question to ask, it does not go far enough. By that I mean the matter of communication ethics does not only apply to the one who is doing the talking. It also applies to those on the receiving end of a speech, comment or article. Just as the speaker, for instance, has a responsibility to be honest, those to whom he or she is speaking have an equal obligation to be a respectful listener. If such a responsibility is purposefully ignored, then those who do that are being unethical not unlike a speaker who manipulates facts or the truth. Because listening is a key element in the communication process, not fulfilling that responsibility is an honest way is deceptive.

As a teacher, I see this kind of unethical behavior far too often. Either I or a student will be speaking to the class when I will notice someone check their cell phone and quietly text someone. This sort of thing happens in many settings other than the classroom, I might add. Because the communication process involves both a sender and a receiver, so, too, does communication ethics. Both participants need to be their part honestly or whatever is exchanged between them will be incomplete, at best, and misleading, at worst, and misunderstood in all probability. They key, then, is to remember that being an ethical communicator pertains to all of us.