Defining Communication Ethics - Blog Post 1 - Kristine Schechinger

 Throughout the first couple weeks in this course, we have talked a lot about the idea  of 'good' and how it plays a role in our everyday lives. We have applied this idea in a broader sense and how it creates a central value or set of values that we seek to protect or promote (Arnett et al, 23). One of the biggest questions I'm hoping to answer this semester is how can we (personally and professionally) be ethical. The right and wrongs of scenarios. Makau (2002), in the preface to Moral Engagement in Public Life: Theorists for Contemporary Ethics, stated, "So called universal principles have proven inadequate (and often counterproductive) to the resolution of many, if not most, "real world" moral challenges... Disregarding the key role of the heart in ethical deliberation and action, traditional paradigms have  undermined the very foundations of spirituality and other critical resources for ethical interaction (p. ix). I found this quote to be rather intriguing because it shows that we should still find the 'good' when deliberating an ethical dilemma.  What Makau was describing I think is something we all need to keep in the back of our minds when faced a problem, no matter the significance. 

This portion of our course I'm extremely interested in because I think I came into the class hoping to learn right off the bat what communication ethics were. After doing some more reading, it seemed like there isn't a definitive definition for what communication ethics are, but we can define what ethics are. Many of the citations in our reading describe ethics as something that we determine as worthy of acceptance and if it promotes a good. Where we can bring communication into our ethical conversation I think Arnett combines them in a way that gives a brief overview of what communication ethics are. He said "It involves searching for direction and recognition of diversity of values/virtues; the search is dialogic, open to others while still standing on one's ground within a given narrative (Arnett et al, 49)."

I think there are many pieces we can take away from what we define as communication ethics and how we can apply them to our lives. Whether it's finding a common 'good' or deliberating ethically based on common values, I think there is something that we can resonate with.