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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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Developing News Trustworthiness

Developing News Trustworthiness

Ethical Communications With Subramaniam Vincent

Subbu Vincent, director of journalism and media ethics, quoted in Communication Intelligence.

Michael Toebe of Communication Intelligence speaks with Subramaniam Vincent about what ethical communication looks like in a society similar to our own.

"Unethical communication is when organized entities — people, groups, leaders— cherry-pick a selection of facts or histories or lies or untruths and communicate that around a false or divisive or tribal narrative. Invoking such narratives in the brain makes it easier to drive unethical, anti-democratic and dehumanizing behavior...There is a reciprocal element to communication in democracy, where we need to hear each other out as whole persons with dignity and worth. One-way communication — top-down — can get elitist and anti-democratic, and hence runs the risk of being unethical, unless thoughtfully done."

Subramaniam "Subbu" Vincent, director of journalism and media ethics, quoted in Communication Intelligence.

Ethics
media, journalism