📞Intro to Public Speaking Unit 15 – Ethical Considerations in Public Speaking

Key Concepts

• Ethics involves the moral principles and values that guide behavior and decision-making in public speaking
• Ethical considerations in public speaking include honesty, respect, responsibility, and fairness
• Ethical violations can range from plagiarism and deception to hate speech and incitement to violence
• Consequences of unethical behavior in public speaking can damage credibility, relationships, and reputations
• Strategies for ethical communication involve being truthful, respecting others, taking responsibility, and promoting fairness
• Case studies and examples help illustrate ethical principles and challenges in real-world public speaking situations
• Applying ethics in speech preparation requires careful consideration of content, sources, and potential impacts on audiences
• Modern public speaking presents new ethical challenges related to technology, social media, and diverse global audiences

Ethical Principles in Public Speaking

• Honesty involves being truthful and accurate in presenting information and avoiding deception or misleading statements
• Respect involves treating audiences and other speakers with dignity, courtesy, and openness to different perspectives
• Responsibility involves being accountable for the content and consequences of one's speech and avoiding harm to others
• Fairness involves presenting balanced and unbiased information, giving credit to sources, and avoiding discrimination or favoritism
• Integrity involves being consistent in one's values and actions and avoiding hypocrisy or double standards
• Transparency involves being open and clear about one's motives, affiliations, and potential conflicts of interest
  • This can help build trust with audiences and demonstrate ethical credibility
• Empathy involves understanding and considering the perspectives and feelings of others, especially those impacted by one's speech

Types of Ethical Violations

• Plagiarism involves using someone else's words, ideas, or work without proper attribution or permission
  • This can include verbatim copying, paraphrasing, or presenting research as one's own
• Deception involves intentionally misleading or lying to audiences through false statements, omissions, or distortions of facts
• Manipulation involves using emotional appeals, logical fallacies, or other tactics to unfairly influence or control audiences
• Hate speech involves using language that attacks, threatens, or demeans individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or other characteristics
• Incitement involves encouraging or provoking audiences to engage in violence, illegal activity, or other harmful behavior
• Invasion of privacy involves sharing personal or sensitive information about individuals without their consent
• Conflict of interest involves failing to disclose personal, financial, or professional relationships that could bias or compromise one's speech

Consequences of Unethical Behavior

• Damage to credibility can occur when speakers are caught engaging in unethical behavior, leading audiences to distrust or discount their message
• Legal consequences can include lawsuits, fines, or criminal charges for violations such as defamation, fraud, or incitement
• Professional consequences can include disciplinary action, job loss, or damage to one's reputation and future opportunities
• Personal consequences can include guilt, shame, or loss of relationships and social standing
• Societal consequences can include the spread of misinformation, erosion of public trust, or normalization of unethical behavior
• Audience consequences can include confusion, anger, or harm caused by unethical speech
  • This can lead to a breakdown in communication and understanding between speakers and listeners

Strategies for Ethical Communication

• Being truthful involves presenting accurate and verifiable information, acknowledging limitations or uncertainties, and correcting errors
• Respecting others involves using inclusive language, avoiding stereotypes or offensive remarks, and being open to feedback and criticism
• Taking responsibility involves owning one's words and actions, apologizing for mistakes, and working to make amends or improvements
• Promoting fairness involves presenting multiple perspectives, acknowledging counterarguments, and avoiding bias or favoritism
• Seeking informed consent involves getting permission from individuals before sharing their personal stories or experiences
• Maintaining confidentiality involves protecting sensitive or private information and keeping promises of discretion
• Encouraging critical thinking involves presenting evidence and arguments in a way that allows audiences to draw their own conclusions

Case Studies and Examples

• A student who plagiarizes a speech from the internet and presents it as their own work (Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech)
• A politician who makes false claims about their opponent's record or character to win an election (2016 U.S. presidential campaign)
• A company spokesperson who fails to disclose a conflict of interest while promoting a product (tobacco industry lobbying)
• A speaker who uses hate speech to incite violence against a marginalized group (neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia)
• A journalist who reports on a sensitive story without verifying sources or considering the impact on individuals involved (Rolling Stone's retracted campus rape article)
• A motivational speaker who fabricates personal stories of hardship and success to inspire audiences (James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" controversy)
• A social media influencer who promotes harmful or misleading health advice without scientific evidence (anti-vaccination movement)

Applying Ethics in Speech Preparation

• Researching and citing credible sources to ensure accuracy and avoid plagiarism
• Considering the potential impacts of one's speech on different audiences and stakeholders
• Identifying and disclosing any personal biases, affiliations, or conflicts of interest that may influence the speech
• Using language and examples that are inclusive, respectful, and appropriate for the audience and context
• Anticipating and addressing potential objections or counterarguments in a fair and balanced way
• Seeking feedback and input from diverse perspectives to identify blind spots or unintended consequences
• Reflecting on one's own values and ethical principles throughout the speech preparation process

Ethical Challenges in Modern Public Speaking

• Navigating the spread of misinformation and fake news in an era of social media and partisan polarization
• Balancing free speech rights with the responsibility to avoid harm and protect vulnerable populations
• Adapting to diverse global audiences with different cultural norms, values, and expectations around communication
• Managing the impact of digital technologies on privacy, security, and intellectual property in public speaking
• Addressing issues of power, privilege, and inequality in public speaking platforms and opportunities
• Fostering civil discourse and constructive dialogue in an age of political divisiveness and echo chambers
• Maintaining ethical standards in an attention economy that rewards sensationalism, controversy, and viral content over accuracy and nuance