Communication Ethics as a Foundational Construct in Applied Communication Theory, Research, and Practice

Abstract

This chapter explores the best available theories for ethical communication and the best methods of applied ethical analyses. The general and accepted theoretical traditions help advance our understanding and relevance in applied communication. They are virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics, and deontological ethics. The chapter reviews these theories of ethics and then applies them to communication. By focusing on the metatheory that drives all ethical considerations and the normative analyses of those constructs, a deeper understanding of all ethics in an applied communication context can take shape. These larger understandings inform the concept of moral worth upon which this chapter's definition of ethics is based. There are two remaining major areas of problematics for communication ethics. These problems offer professional challenges, yet afford fertile ground for future research: deception and wicked problems. Ethical guidance for specific communication applications such as social media, or the impact of governmental regulation on ethics, offers fertile areas for future research.

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