A SPEAKER’S GUIDEBOOK 4TH EDITION CHAPTER 5 Ethics and Public Speaking

The Speaker The ethical speaker remembers that their credibility is on the line when they speak. The sources cited by the speaker can also affect his/her credibility. Unethical behaviors in the speaker’s personal life will affect audience perception of the speech.

Ethics and Public Speaking Ethics is the responsibility we have toward the audience and ourselves. Ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos which means character. Little has changed since Aristotle’s day; audience members still expect speakers to be honest, respectful, knowledgeable, and to have organized delivery of reasonable thoughts.

Ethical Conduct Is a Reflection of Values Values shape our worldview, drive our behavior, and perform the basis on which we judge the actions of others. Even though people disagree, it is order, not chaos, which keeps our society functioning. Many different behaviors involve ethical choices and consequences.

Discussion To tell a lie: an ethical dilemma Are there any laws that govern whether or not it is acceptable to lie? What message does society send about lying? What did your cultural upbringing (family training) teach you about lying?

Question: Is this an acceptable lie to you? Yes No Maybe

Characteristics of Ethical Evidence for Speechmaking TRUE, or clearly identified as hypothetical RECENT, or clearly identified by time period PROVABLE COMPLETE (not taken out of context) REASONABLE (not overly dramatized for effect)

Free Speech Protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution Limitations: speech that provokes the audience to violence, that defames another person’s character, or that invades another person’s privacy. Some legally protected speech is still unethical.

Discussion: Virtual Slander Online discussion groups, such as Facebook, MySpace, and Ratemyprofessor.com, blogs, You- tube video clips, and personal websites, have created new and anonymous ways to defame another person’s character. Have you recently viewed an entry posted by someone that you thought was questionable and perhaps crossed the lines of protected free speech?

Public Discourse Ethical speech makes a positive contribution to public discourse, or the community at large. Public speakers must follow some rules of engagement involving rights and responsibilities, honesty, disclosure, and openness to other speaker viewpoints.

Ground Rules for Ethical Speaking Maintain the dignity of your audience members. Maintain your integrity by not compromising the truth. Be trustworthy by not manipulating data, hiding relevant information, or forgetting to reveal sources. Respect the audience by refraining from verbally attacking them. Avoid ethnocentric remarks, making stereotypes, and using hate speech.

A SPEAKER’S GUIDEBOOK 4TH EDITION CHAPTER 5 Avoiding Plagiarism

Plagiarism According to Dr. Lucas in The Art of Public Speaking, plagiarism is defined as presenting “another person’s language or ideas as your own – to give the impression you have written or thought something yourself when you have actually taken it from someone else” (p 42). Passing off another person’s information as your own is unethical (O’Hair, et al, 2008).

Discussion If a student gives a speech in which he/she did research and presents information based on that research, should the student cite the sources of such information in the speech? YES!

Question If the student does not cite the sources of the information presented in the speech, what grade does the student deserve? A. B. C. D. F. (use the E button on your i-clicker)

Types of Plagiarism Global, or wholesale plagiarism, is when you take entire sections from the source and insert into your speech. Example: Each of your three main ideas is a section from a source where every line comes from the same source. Patchwrite plagiarism (also called Patchwork) is when you change a few words here and there to make the material appear like your own. Example: Creating your own outline of a single article and presenting it.

Orally Identify Your Sources Type of source Author or sponsoring organization name Title or description of the source Date of publication

Copyright and Fair Use Copyright laws protect intellectual property, the creator’s right to own his/her own creative works. In the classroom, a teacher or student speaker has limited rights to use someone else’s work as long as credit is given to the creator.

Chapter 5 Key Terms for Review responsibility ethics ethos speaker credibility values First Amendment free speech fighting words slander reckless disregard for the truth invective conversation stopper rules of engagement dignity integrity trustworthiness respect heckler’s veto ethnocentrism stereotype hate speech fairness plagiarism wholesale plagiarism patchwrite plagiarism direct quotation paraphrase common knowledge copyright public domain intellectual property fair use