Ethics Month February 2023 is here – welcome to join the discussions with global peers and experts #EthicsMatter
Ethical communication is a way of communicating that is honest, fair, responsible, and respectful towards others. It involves being aware of the impact of your words and actions on others and taking steps to ensure that your communication is transparent, accurate, and appropriate. Ethical communication also involves being mindful of the power dynamics that may exist in a conversation and using language and communication techniques that are respectful and non-manipulative. Overall, the goal of ethical communication is to create trust and understanding between people, and to foster healthy, positive relationships.
The above is a direct copy of my recent conversation with ChatGPT, the recently launched AI language model developed by OpenAI. Is AI ethical? I asked the ChatGPT next: “The ethics of AI is a complex and multifaceted issue that has been the subject of much debate and discussion. Overall, it is important to consider the potential ethical implications of AI and to ensure that it is developed, used, and regulated in a responsible and ethical manner.”
Communications ethics taps into the core strategic purpose of our profession - to build and maintain trust across key stakeholders. Over the past few years, we have seen unprecedented combination of world events – the turmoil caused by the pandemic and the geopolitical tensions, along with the increased use of new technologies – bringing new considerations on ethics and challenge the TRUST.
We communicators may face various dilemmas concerning ethics in our daily work; how do we balance honesty, transparency and discretion when certain information is to be kept confidential, e.g. to protect privacy or trade secrets. How do we deal with power dynamics; a boss may have more power than an employee, or a government agency may have more power than an individual citizen, how to communicate respectfully and non-manipulative. Further on cultural differences as well as responding to difficult situations with strong personal feelings involved may cause challenges for us and the communications.
The Global Alliance Ethics Month in February 2023 brings attention to the importance of ethics in communication - it connects the PR and Communications professionals globally to discuss the current state of ethics and the ethical dilemmas we face.
Through webinars, videos, research and articles across regions and member associations, the Ethics Month 2023 engages us around topics such as below – and much more:
- Let’s not forget about feelings! The role of emotions in communications– building connections or manipulating? Join the webinar on February 16th at 12 GMT.
- Who do citizens trust and regard as ethical players in our societies today?
- Ethical challenges in digital communication and PR
- What do professional communicators do when the world goes crazy? Are we aware of our role and the potential negative impact e.g., in accelerating conflict and polarization when trying to control the agenda and power – instead of using our professional skills to facilitate actual solutions to the world’s big problems? Join our webinar on February 27. Stay tuned for details.
Welcome to join the conversations – share content to boost awareness for #EthicsMatter – and take part in advancing ethics and responsible communications during the global #EthicsMonth – and beyond! You will find the #EthicsMonth content - articles and recordings here.
Yours,
Kia Haring
Director, Ethics & Standards
Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management