Ethics is not about being nice. It's about being able to establish trust, which is at the heart of civilized society. Communicating ethically is the first step to establish a meaningful conversation. This is the first lesson of the course Empower Your Voice - Achieve Your Goals.

1. Empower Your Voice
Achieve Your Goals
Lesson 1:
The Ethics of Communication

2. ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
Trust is at the heart of human interaction. A certain degree of trust
needs to be established for effective communication.
An ethical code of conduct is important to define a baseline of
expectations for all the parties involved in the interaction.
A breach in this code of conduct is also a breach of trust; a conversation
will likely become a conflict.
Respecting an ethical code of conduct in communication is a way to
avoid conflict and keep the interaction on the win/win level.

3. ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
Dos and Don’ts
DO DO NOT
Know what you’re talking about
Break taboos for a higher purpose
Quote your sources
Use communication to hurt
Break taboos to attract attention
Plagiarize

4. ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
Examples
OK NOT OK
Discuss statistical suicide rates
Vet anonymous sources
Protect privacy of sources
Describe suicide cases in detail
Repost any rumor
Share confidential material

5. ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
Motivations
DEONTOLOGY* MOTIVATION
Don’t write about suicide cases
Vet anonymous sources
Protect privacy of sources
The Werther Effect
Social Consequences of Rumors
Protection from Retaliation
*Note: Deontological codes for professional figures might
differ per country. These are general indications on the
principles guiding most of those rules.

6. ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
Conclusions
Every communication has
consequences.
As we lose awareness of our
audience, as is the case where we
are using Social Media to publicly
broadcast, the consequences of
what we say become increasingly
unpredictable.
“Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”
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