Page 126 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 4 Ethical Speaking and Listening 93

ful notes as you research your speech, you are less likely to accidentally borrow
an idea from another source without attribution.

The Internet

Although we deal at length with the use and abuse of the Internet in Chapter 7,
we feel duty bound to caution you about the temptations of the Internet. Cyber-
space is not only the preferred source of information among students as they
prepare their speeches, it also is the source of most of the plagiarism we fi nd
in student speeches. Given the sheer amount of information available, it might
seem to some that it’s nearly impossible for an instructor to fi nd out where a
student’s ideas and language originated. Think again: It is not only possible, it
gets easier by the day. Many universities and colleges are even subscribing to
services such as Turnitin.com to discourage plagiarism.
Whether a full-scale rip-off, an incremental theft, or an accidental violation,
plagiarism is a serious ethical offense for the public speaker. Furthermore, as the
box “Speaking of . . . Copyright” discusses, plagiarism isn’t only unethical, in
some cases it may even be illegal. Our best advice is to resist the temptation, cite
the sources of your ideas for your audience, and take pride in those ideas that are
your own. In Chapter 7 we discuss how to record and cite sources in a speech.
But the general principle is to let your audience know exactly where your ideas
are coming from.

Building Goodwill and Trustworthiness

A speaker’s credibility has several components. Two of the most important are
goodwill and trustworthiness, which we introduced earlier. Goodwill is the
goodwill
perception by audience members that a speaker cares about their needs and
The perception by the
concerns. A speaker who truly cares and can communicate that to the audience
audience that a speaker
not only is more likely to be effective but also is much more likely to behave
cares about their needs
ethically. There is a huge difference, for example, between the speaker who is and concerns.
trying to put one over on listeners and the speaker who really cares about their
well-being. If speakers apply the principle developed by Kant of treating people
as ends and not means to ends, then that is a mark of goodwill.
Trustworthiness is the perception by audience members that they can
trustworthiness
rely on a speaker’s word. A promise made is as good as done. The effect on a
The perception by the
speaker’s trustworthiness of a broken promise or a revealed lie is devastating.
audience that they can
One reason politicians in general are held in such low regard by the public is
rely on a speaker’s word.
that so many of them have broken their promises and become untrustworthy in
people’s eyes.
As a speaker, you need to realize that you rarely can accomplish your pur-
pose in one speech or even in a short series of speeches. Often your goals will re-
quire a long-term commitment. And your relationship to your audience needs to
be one of trustworthiness. If you violate their trust, not only have you behaved
unethically, you have jeopardized your chances of achieving your goals as well.
The solution to this problem is twofold. First, don’t make promises you cannot or
do not intend to keep. And second, if circumstances might require you to devi-
ate from prior promises, make it clear what limits there are on your promise.