Page 130 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 4 Ethical Speaking and Listening 97

• Reinforce and be consistent with democratic processes. Recognize the
importance of free speech in a democratic society and the right of others to
disagree.
• Demonstrate goodwill and trustworthiness toward the audience.
• Put yourself in the position of the listeners and treat them with the same
respect you would expect were the roles reversed.
• Recognize that both the means and the ends of a speech should be ethical.
Be concerned with the possible consequences of accepting the message as
well as with its truthfulness and accuracy.
• Take responsibility for your own work. Plagiarism is the ultimate in intellec-
tual dishonesty.

Ethical Norms for Listeners

People who fi nd themselves in the primary role of listeners also need to think
about their ethical obligations. Remember, audience members are very much
a party to the public speaking transaction. When you are a listener, you too bear
some responsibility for the consequences of the speech. Thus we suggest these
norms for ethical listening: (1) Be civil. (2) Take responsibility for the choices
you make. (3) Stay informed on the issues of the day. (4) Speak out when you are
convinced that a speaker is misinforming or misleading people. (5) Be aware of
your own biases.

Be Civil

When we go to the movies at our local Cineplex, we are usually treated to a set
of rules that appear on the screen prior to the featured fi lm. These rules basically
tell us not to talk to our companions during the fi lm, make sure our cell phones
and pagers are turned off, and if in the company of a crying or misbehaving
child, to retreat to the lobby out of respect for other audience members. Maybe
we need to post a similar set of rules in our classrooms. Every new term it seems
as if we have to single out audience members for one or more of the preceding
infractions or even walking in or out of the room during a classmate’s speech.
It is as embarrassing for us as it is embarrassing for them. Moreover, it should
never have to happen. The fi rst ethical responsibility of audience members is to
be civil to the speaker and other audience members. It is tough enough for peo-
ple learning to become more effective speakers to manage their presentations
without the added distraction of people talking or a cell phone “accidentally”
ringing.

Take Responsibility for Choices

The second guideline for listeners is to recognize that unless coerced, they are
responsible for the choices they make during and following a communication
transaction. This means listeners cannot blame a speaker for the decision to riot
following a speech or for violating human rights because they were persuaded to