Applied Communication Ethics
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Grand Canyon University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
333
Subject
Communications
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
6
Uploaded by ColonelKnowledge7782
1
Applied Communication Ethics Grand Canyon University COM-333-O500: Communication Ethics
2
Applied Communication Ethics
Over the years, one thing that I have learned is that communication is power. The way you communicate shows your character. Growing up my mother would always say that the first impression is the one everyone will always remember. Keeping this in mind, I learned to have a successful relationship you must possess the ability to effectively communicate. Effective communication is the foundation of this. In the text, it says being able to effectively communicate is what separates understanding, learning, and growth from misunderstanding, mixed messages, and errors (Fundamentals, 2022). With that, as an effective communicator, communication ethics is developed. Ethical communication is simply being able to communicate
clearly, truthfully, and responsibly. Today, we know that there are many different contexts of communication. However, we will only focus on communication ethics when it comes to personal relationships and social media with an emphasis on some moral dilemmas that may arise. In today’s society, personal relationships are influenced by social media. That goes for personal relationships with friends, family, and, most affected, romantic relationships. See when you incorporate communication ethics within these relationships then you can communicate effectively. This will allow communication to be open and honest. In the reading, it says that when you do this you have a sense of courage and bravery (Lipari, 2017). But even while mastering the concept of communicating ethically, sometimes some dilemmas occur. This is where social media takes place. First and foremost, social media has its perks. Social can be a tool that is utilized to spark long-lasting relationships. But on the other hand, it can also destroy relationships. Because of social media, so many friendships, families, and romantic relationships
3
have been destroyed. Why? A study showed that social media can perpetuate jealousy, decrease the quality of time spent with loved ones, set unrealistic relationship goals, etc. Story Time
So, let’s talk about relationships. In particular romantic relationships that are influenced by social media. Short story: I have known a young lady for quite some time and I consider us to be acquaintances. For today, we will refer to her as Jess. Jess is madly in love with this guy whom we will refer to as Ty. Now the thing is that I have known Ty for quite some time as well and consider him an acquaintance. Jess and Ty have been together off and on for a decade and have children together. So, you can imagine the ups and downs they may have had. Now, they are the perfect couple on social media and they put on a major front for the people. But when they are into it, they use social media to throw shade towards one another. Which allows everyone to be involved in their relationship. Often Jess expresses her feelings about how she feels about the way Ty treats her. Now mind you that I am around and I see these things for myself. To be honest, I have witnessed infidelity on both party’s behalf. But when they have disagreements, Jess always asks for my opinion. Now, in the beginning, I would say exactly what
I thought needed to be said. But every single time Jess would go and reveal everything I said to Ty and in the end, they ended up working out. Jess told me she believed that he changed and being that she did not see it for herself they would work it out again. Which led me to look like the bad guy. Ty expressed to everyone how he felt like I was being messy and that I needed to stay in my lane. So that is exactly what I decided to do, stay in my lane. So recently I was having
conversations with some people at a local and saw the unthinkable. It was Ty with one of Jess’s good friends. I was appalled. I did not expect to see that and by the look on their faces, they were
not expecting me to see it either. Ty immediately came over and tried to explain the situation but
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
4
I told him that it was none of my business and decided to go on my way. However, a few weeks later Jess mentioned to me the suspicion she had about her friend and Ty. Jess stated she had seen
a snap with the two of them in it and wondered why her good friend didn’t tell her Ty was at the bar too. Now this situation has put me in a dilemma. Why, because I was at the same bar and didn’t mention it was well. What do I do? Because in the beginning, I would do what I felt was right but I always ended up being the bad guy. Decision! Decisions! Decision!
Making an ethical decision!
First, what are the factors? Jess and Ty have a history. They are always off and on. When I used to tell Jess information, she would practically throw me up under the bus. Ty is very convincing when it comes to Jess. Jess could see Ty with her own two eyes and he could make her somehow forget it happened. Plus, they have children together. The kicker is that is involved with Jess’s good friend. Second, what is the issue? The issue is that yes Jess is an acquaintance of
mine but the girl that Ty is involved with is one of Jess’s good friends. If I were to say something
I could look like the jealous bad guy. I could even ruin a long-term relationship and friendship. But if it was me, I would want to know. Third, what is the principle? As a friend or an acquaintance of someone, I just believe that there is a code to it all. I think that relaying valuable information to that person is the right thing to do. Fourth, the alternatives! One, I could not say anything and let the cards unfold. Two, tell Jess the information that I have about Ty and her good friend and deal with the consequences later. Fifth, does the alternative match the principle? So, if I were to tell Jess everything, then I think I would feel better about the situation at hand. Sixth, what could go wrong? Worst case scenario Jess and Ty stop will stop talking to me because I told the truth. Jess would probably be upset because it took me so long to tell her and Ty would be mad because the cat would be out of the bag. Jess’s friend would probably be upset
5
as well but that would be the least of my worries. Last, is decision-making time. I would reflect on the ethical frameworks that I have learned about during this course. The framework that influenced my decision would be deontology. According to the text, McKee and Krentel (2022) state that deontology is “a moral theory that suggests actions are good or bad according to a clear
set of rules”. So, with that being said my decision was geared toward doing the morally right thing. I decided to tell Jess what happened and why chose not to say anything right away. Jess understood and did exactly what she normally does, she told Ty everything. The only difference is that she did not give away her source this time.
Conclusion
Sometimes communication can be tricky. You never know when it will backfire. That’s why is it extremely important to know how to communicate. Effective communication can increase trust, improve relationships, help develop effective problem-solving, etc. In closing as one of the authors wrote, “Communication must be H.O.T. That’s honest, open, and two-way” (
Comprehensive Business Solutions at Your Fingertips
, 2022).
6
References
Brison, S. J. (1998). The autonomy defense of free speech. Ethics
, 108
(2), 312–339. https://doi.org/10.1086/233807
Comprehensive business solutions at your fingertips
. (2022, July 8). BLR. https://blr.com/
Ethical Communication: the basic principles
. (2021, July 1). Paradox Marketing. https://paradoxmarketing.io/capabilities/knowledge-management/insights/ethical-
communication-the-basic-principles/
Fundamentals, S. (2022, October 19). Self-Care Fundamentals - A Guide To Improve Your Wellbeing & Happiness. Self-Care Fundamentals
. https://selfcarefundamentals.com/
Kahneman, D. (2011).
Thinking, fast and slow
. macmillan.
Lipari, L. (2017, February 27). Communication Ethics. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. https://oxfordre.com/communication
McKee, M., & Krentel, A. (2022).
Issues in public health: Challenges for the 21st century.
Manaher, S. (2023, August 12).
Value vs Virtue: Meaning And Differences
. The Content Authority. https://thecontentauthority.com/
Together, We Succeed. (2021, November 30). The importance of communication ethics | Together, We Succeed.
Together, We Succeed. | the Saint Vincent College Blog. https://we-succeed.stvincent.edu/2021/11/10/importance-of-ethics-in-communication/
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help