Play Fair and Be Ethical!

The aim of the business communicator is to sway peoples opinions, change peoples atitudes, and get them to act on your proposal. To reach that goal, business communicators sometimes exaggerate an opinion, misrepresent facts, or leave out something harmful to their argument but important. You must be very careful not to do any of these things when writing a press release, or else it will be considered unethical (Guffey, Rhodes, & Rogin, 2011, p. 280).

It is important to remember two important factors that are at stake when you engage in unethical writing:

1. Your reputation and credibility
2. Your opinion of yourself

When your writing is deceitful, it might get you the results you want in the short run. But eventually it will harm your reputation and credibility. People will find it hard to trust your writing again or trust you as a person. Whats most important though is your opinion of yourself. Sometimes, the psychological effects of lying can harm your self-image. That can negatively effect your atitudes and behaviours and you might find yourself confused about who you are.

Here is an interesting video about the 3 types of lies that you should avoid!

Have you ever caught someone lying? How did that make you feel? Was your trust in that person ruined? Please share your comments below!

Reference:

Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2011). Business Communication, Process and Product, Sixth Canadian Edition. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd.